Frozen: Queen of Snow (and Ice)
by Infinite Number
Summary: Elsa struggles to live with herself and fights to overcome the fears she was indoctrinated with over 13 years of her life. When the consequences of her Eternal Winter catch up to her, she faces a potential relapse into the reclusive Princess she fought so hard to keep down. Chapters 1 to 6 will be fixed. Formerly K, Canon. Cover image courtesy of Deviantart's Onibox.
1. Prologue

**A/N: To those who take offence to dialogue heavy writing styles: I switched to a far better style in Chapter 7. I hope you can bear with me until then.**

**A/N: Chapter 1 has been rewritten!**

* * *

_Your sister? She returned from the mountain, weak and cold._

Had she? When?

_I tried to save her, but it was too late!_

What?

_Her skin was ice…_

No! No, she was such a warm person…

_...her hair turned white._

Oh no… what have I done?

_Your sister is dead, because of you._

No! After - after all this time… I still killed her?

* * *

Elsa jolted awake. Further tremors rippled through her body. She blinked.

And again.

She was in bed.

Home.

Not on the fjord.

She sat up, resting her back against the headrest of her bed, quilt pooling around her waist. She looked around. She saw the desk on her right. She could just see her reply to Weselton's umpteenth request to reinstate trade peeking over its edge - she'd said no, of course. Beside the letter sat the pile of manifestos she had to read and sign by tomorrow's meeting.

Or was it today? What time was it?

She looked out the window. It was dark. The moon was bright, blotting out the light of the stars surrounding it. But they still shone around it, their tiny pinpricks of light reflected off of the fjord.

The fjord filled with water. Not covered in her ice.

She gazed at the dark surface before bringing her peripheral vision into her mind's eye. She saw the fjord in fragments, the view broken by the large triangular window taking up most of the wall. She saw the other three. Felt her bed.

This was her room. Her home.

And it was covered in ice.

Her eyes traveled over the white mist coating the glass, the sharp essence coating dark walls and floor, the thin ice forming a second layer over her bed. Blinking back the tears she had not felt wetting her cheeks until now, she held out her hand.

_Your sister is dead..._

"No!"

Elsa had meant to recall her ice. Instead a second pulse burst from her hand. The window whitened completely. The frost covering her walls now emerged from it, spikes that had until now seemed like drawings upon them now pointing to her, like fingers. Accusations. And again, there was her sister. Frozen. Dead. Killed by her hands, her fear, her inadequacy. Giving her life to save hers, Elsa's, one undeserving of anyone's love, much less the adoration showered upon her each day. Elsa shut her eyes.

"Love will thaw."

Her heart was still beating too fast. She couldn't breathe.

"_Love will thaw!_"

It had been so long since she had learned her new mantra. Why couldn't she move on? The nightmares had come daily at first, robbing her of sleep even as she made reparations for the harm she had wrought upon her people. But with Anna telling her she was forgiven over and over they had grown less frequent.

But they had never left.

At times Elsa thought they had. New dreams had taken over. Dreams where she was happy with her sister. With her new family. Dreams in which her powers were a blessing. Then the nightmare would return. And when it did it would return in full force. Vivid, as if to make up for lost time.

Like it had tonight.

She shut her eyes again. Her ice was not receding. _Anna is alive and well _she pleaded. But to whom? Herself? Her powers? _She's forgiven me. I don't know how, but she's forgiven me. She loves me. _Elsa's mind caught on the thought. Somehow, after all she had done - after all she _hadn't_ done - Anna still loved her. _We're making up for lost time. The time _I _took from her. We're happy! We're finally, finally happy! What's wrong with me?_

She could still see Anna's frozen form. She willed new memories to replace it. The tales Anna had regaled her with every breakfast of what she'd done in their years apart, stories that made her snort whatever she was drinking out of her nose. She remembered the snow fights. She remembered how Anna had worked her through her fear of hitting her sister with her magic and the fun they'd had. She remembered the time Anna had "won". She remembered the times they'd traveled to her palace atop the North Mountain and seeing Olaf and Marshmallow playing as the sisters watched, laughing at how human and petty they could be. She remembered, soon after she'd gotten her sister back, the look on Anna's face as she waited for her approval of Kristoff. She remembered wearing a thoughtful on her face, stalling for time before unable to hold back her laughter.

_We're happy._

She opened her eyes and inhaled. She exhaled through her nose. Her hands and curled into her chest but now her left reached out again. With Anna's hug fresh in her mind and skin she waved. The ice around her, on her, broke apart and swirled in the air above her head. It formed her snowflake, glittering at her.

It was beautiful.

She waved again and the creation shattered, fragments dispersing into the air and out of sight. She lay there, arm still outstretched. Too soon her sister's smile faded. Her features dimmed, glazing over with ice. Her arms, curved for a hug now parted - one reaching behind her, the other reaching up to block a sword. The castle gave way to a frozen fjord and -

_I can't sleep like this._

Elsa slipped out of her bed. A thin cloak hug beside her door. She donned it and left the room.

* * *

_There she is._

Elsa stood in the doorway. Even from here she could see the body tangled in its quilt and the mane of strawberry blonde hair rearing above it. She could remember the countless times she would wake her sister and be forced from the room until she could tame those red locks. She would demand Elsa not laugh and tell her they couldn't all be as fortunate as her.

But a smile would force its way to Elsa's lips all the same as it did now.

Should she go in?

She wanted to. She leaned forward but her feet wouldn't accommodate her wishes. Face falling she remembered the purpose of her visit and fell back, looking at Anna once more, her eyes tracing over every detail of her sister's body.

Her hair wasn't white: it was purely _Anna_. Even the trace of her childhood crime had vanished without a trace and for that she was glad. She would never tell her sister, but it had been torture to look upon it and be reminded of what she was. Of why they could never be together.

Her skin wasn't ice: even in the dim moonlight Elsa could see the natural tone of her sister's face. Human. Adorned with freckles. She was as alive as she always was and always had to be.

She wasn't weak: the tangled sheets would attest to that. Even asleep Elsa could see her sister lash out at invisible...somethings. Even her dreams were lively.

She wasn't cold: again Elsa concentrated on Anna's face. Her cheeks were flushed with warmth and life. She wasn't shivering. Her breath wasn't visible.

In short her sister was fine.

As Elsa knew she would be.

She scolded herself for panicking and reassured herself it was best that she hadn't entered, for Anna would not appreciate being stared at in such a way. She rubbed her eyes, brushing away the tears before they could form. She pushed the door gently, wincing at the faint sound of it closing shut and returned to her own room, tiptoeing as she had on her way out. When she entered she turned to close it behind her but stopped with her hand on the knob.

_Not anymore._

With a small nod to herself she let the door rest against its frame, slightly ajar. She removed the cloak and slipped back into bed. She would make amends, she knew that, but that did not mean she could ever stop trying. And she would, for the rest of their lives. For longer, if she could.

She closed her eyes, desperate for emptiness of sleep.

_...because of you._

"I'm so sorry Anna."

There was no restraining the tears now. They dripped from beneath her eyelids and trailed twin paths down her cheeks and nose. She shuddered, gasping for breath before breaking into sobs. They grew louder. Louder still until she muffled her cries with her pillow.

_Don't let them see._

She stayed that way, shaking with the truth of what she'd done. She still made no effort to wipe her tears. What was the point when they were fully deserved, when they would just be replaced by more? She wailed herself to sleep.

And completed her ritual.


	2. Letters, Breakfast and Ice

**A/N: Rewritten!**

* * *

Elsa had woken up on time and, after making herself presentable, had made her way downstairs, first stopping by Anna's door and listening to her snores through the door. Smiling to herself and trying not to think of when she had last stood outside her sister's room she had descended to the dining room for breakfast. After speaking to advisers who had materialized from thin air as they often did for guidance on issues she had hoped to resolve for the last few days she had made her way back upstairs.

Somehow, Anna was still sleeping.

Hence why Elsa was knocking on her door until both her palm and throat ached.

"Anna! Anna, _wake up!_"

Nothing.

She considered entering the room, throwing Anna's privacy to the wind as she knocked once more, wrapping another hand around the door knob.

"Anna!"

"Wait!" The voice surprised her. Had Anna heard the knob turning perhaps? "Wait, I'm up, I'm up!"

Elsa waited for a few more seconds and was rewarded with further snores. She slammed the door once more.

Anna yelped. "Sorry Elsa! What's the big fuss?"

"Don't you remember what day it is?" Elsa felt a smile creep up her cheeks.

"Deadline day?" She heard the sound of feet dragging along the floor. "I already spoke to everyone. Didn't I already tell you? I could have sworn I did."

"You did." Her smile frozen to her face, Elsa felt her forehead crease as she leaned her head towards the door.

"Then - _ow_ \- what's the deal? You're working today aren't you?"

Elsa's frown solidified. Anna's memory wasn't _that_ bad, surely?

"Kristoff's been waiting for an hour," she began, waiting for a reaction. Anna was silent. "He says it's getting late."

"_Kristoff?_" Anna burst to life. There was a loud scuffle behind the door until it shuddered on its frame, Elsa hearing the sound of flesh hitting it hard. It opened by a fraction, just enough for Anna to peer out. Elsa chose not to comment on what she could see of her. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I tried Anna. I really, really tried."

Anna's eyes narrowed in the sliver of space the door revealed after a moment's pause. "Oh." She shook her head, still peering sideways at Elsa. "Fine. Just...just keep him busy. Make him an ice cube or something, I'll be down in a bit!" The door slammed shut, the faint burst of wind buffeting the platinum blonde.

"Okay. Just...pick up a snack on the way down at least."

"I will!"

Elsa doubted that but chose not to comment, asking Gerda to have something delivered to her sister's room on her way down instead.

* * *

Kristoff slumped in his chair in the entrance hall of the castle when he heard the news. After a brief moment of thought he looked at Elsa with a huff. "You know, I should probably just leave." He gestured in the direction of the staircase. "It may teach her a lesson about tardiness."

Elsa sat in a seat facing his, smiling. "I think so too." She cocked her head, her smile widening to something cheekier. "But you won't, will you?"

She managed to keep her expression fixed - somehow - when he flushed. "I...probably wouldn't."

"Probably?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow. A servant approached then with a bundle of letters. She stood to receive them, thanked and dismissed him. She flipped through them as she sat back down. Kristoff waited until the man was out of earshot before continuing.

"Well, she keeps telling me she'll get better about it, I keep giving her the benefit of the doubt and it happens again and - there she is."

Elsa turned, recognizing the sound of Anna skipping down the stairs, almost falling on the last. After regaining her balance she looked up at them and beamed. "Hey Elsa, Kristoff!" She stopped her run to them to look at the suit of armor behind the ice harvester. "And Olaf! How are you?" At her cry the little snowman, who had been admiring the steel man, ran to her. She bent down to pat the side of his oval head. Snowflakes from the flurry above him fell on her hand and she shook them off as she rose. "Are we ready to go Kristoff?"

"Now."

Anna blushed under his pointed glare and mumbled an apology. Elsa chuckled to herself. "Did you have something to eat Anna?"

"Yep!" She had been holding something on her way down. She held it in front of Elsa before popping it in her mouth.

"Ch - chocolate?"

"Uh huh. Told you I would." She beamed.

"You did...did you see Gerda on the way down?" It was unlike the matron to provide confectioneries so freely. Elsa had expected her to give her sister something more nutritious.

"Yeah! I think the poor thing was having a late breakfast. She was carrying this huge pile of apples down the corridor!"

Elsa rolled her eyes, failing to hide a smile and was about to explain who the apples had been for when she noticed Kristoff looking at her. "Don't worry," he said, cutting her question off before it left her lips, "I was gonna stop by the market anyway. I'll get her something there."

"Thank you Kristoff." Elsa looked to Anna, the smile she'd worn for the mountain man giving way to a frown. "Now Anna, promise me you'll be safe?"

Anna huffed in return. "Of course I will!"

"I'll look after her Elsa!"

Elsa looked down at the snowman standing by her side, his thin arm patting her shin, his flurry placing stray snowflakes just above her knee.

She smiled. "I'm sure you will." Bending down to pat him as her sister had, only stroking the top of his head instead, she looked up at her human family. "Have a nice day, all of you."

"Course not! Bye Elsa!"

And with that Anna skipped outside. Olaf tore himself from the Queen and raced after her, hot on her heels. Elsa flexed her now empty hand and stood, a faint frown on her face. "And don't be late!" She yelled.

"Leaving on time would have helped," grumbled Kristoff. He straightened up with a sigh and looked at her. "We'll be back soon, _Queen _Elsa."

Had she not heard the footsteps or felt the large presence behind her Elsa would have wondered why Kristoff had added the formal touch. As it was she dismissed him with a smile and turned to Kai, who had approached them while her back had been turned. As Kristoff had waited for the servant to leave, Kai waited for the harvester before addressing her.

"Your Majesty? You're expected."

"Oh goodness." She jumped, her eyes shooting to the grandfather clock on the wall to her right. "I'm not late am I?"

Kai's eyes followed her to the clock. She had seen the answer though he filled the empty air all the same. "No, Your Majesty."

"That's good," she sighed, "tell them I'll be there shortly." She held the letters as explanation and Kai's expression darkened, betraying his concern. He opened his mouth, a syllable leaving it before Elsa shushed him a gentle smile and a raised hand. Kai left, still frowning, and she sat back down. Now it was her turn to frown as she once again looked at the letter that had alarmed the Royal Handler so. It was one of many she had received for longer than she cared to remember. Though each missive was wordier than the last - this one already seemed heavier than the one she'd received the previous week - they all held the same message. More or less.

Elsa gazed at the fiery emblem emblazoned on the wax seal, wishing she didn't have to read it.

* * *

"Can I have a go?"

"Not yet."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why? You still can't _trust my judgement_?" Anna used air quotes for the three words, scowling.

"Nope!"

"So I suppose you think you're another of my bad ideas?"

"Actually, yes."

The scowl gave way to a frown as Anna swatted Kristoff's arm. "Don't be like that!" They'd already had this discussion too many times to count.

"Hey!" He drew back, then chuckled. "I'm not complaining!"

"There we go, rapport! So!" She crossed her arms and grinned.

"Still no."

The smile left her face. "I'll wake up on time, I promise!"

He rolled his eyes. A thought struck him and he stopped, meeting her pleading gaze with a frown. "How long are we going to just sit here?"

Anna looked around the space. Behind them were trees, tall and thick, plunging the immediate space within them into darkness even as the sun shone bright. They themselves were foreboding, their leaves strong green, branches narrowing the further up they grew as though the trees were pointing to the cloudless heavens. Before them sat the beginnings of a mountain range, pale grey rocks joining together to form sharp, colossal masses the further she looked, as far as she could see.

And before them sat a frozen lake.

Kristoff had a point. He had stopped the sled in the opening of the clearing, just off the narrow path they had taken through the trees. Anna had stopped him just as he'd been about to clamber out and the result had been a circular argument that had gone on for who knew how long. At least Sven had enjoyed it, if the way he grinned at them from his harness with his tongue hanging out was any indication.

Kristoff reached for his tools again. Feeling only air he looked behind him with a start. After a few seconds of panicked searching they looked again at the lake at the same time to see Olaf, evidently bored with their argument, had taken it upon himself to do Kristoff's work for him. He was failing and it was a miracle he'd even managed to drag Kristoff's saw and pick over in the first place, but as Anna thought to herself as she watched Kristoff sprint after and relieve him before he fell into the exposed water from a previous harvest, _it's the thought that counts._

Kristoff began work, tapping the ice and making measurements in his mind's eye before cutting into the frozen water, ignoring the Princess' pout and folded arms. After a few minutes, as he knew it would, her excitement and curiosity overcame her and she jumped from the sled, fed Sven a carrot and bounded over to him.

Without slipping. He hadn't expected that.

"So!" She began, putting her right arm around his shoulders. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She'd crossed her legs and placed her other hand on her hip, curled in a fist as she looked at the lake's surface, leaning on him with a grin. "What'cha doing?"

"I'm cutting ice." He said in a flat voice before pulling a block out of the water with a grunt.

"How much do you take usually?"

"I usually keep going 'til I fill the sled."

"And how many blocks is that?"

"Of this size?" He paused and looked skyward. "About 20? I've never really given it much thought, oddly enough."

"And Sven's alright with that?"

"He could do _a lot _more than twenty." He looked at the reindeer who looked up at his voice caught in the act of trying to snatch a sack of carrots from his back. _That was a cruel place to leave it_, Anna realized with a wince. "Isn't that right?"

_"Sure could Kristoff! If only you weren't so puny or slow!"_

"Anna!"

"Sorry!"

Her giggling said otherwise. After a moment Kristoff chuckled too and returned to his work.

"Why don't you just sell Elsa's ice?" She asked after a moment. Kristoff had harvested two more blocks after Anna had stopped leaning on him. Sven had come closer in this time and Kristoff had begun loading the sled. Anna had moved the sack to a kinder place and given Sven a carrot for his troubles (one Kristoff had demanded a bite of). "It's not like she ever run out."

"Anna. Don't."

"You never tell me why not! No one can hear us here."

He sighed. He stroked his chin. Looking away he muttered, "I just...don't want to."

"What's wrong with Elsa's ice? I'm sure she could make it melt if she wanted to, so it's not like you'd lose customers or anything."

"It's not that Anna, it's just - " He grunted as he loaded another block onto the sled and stretched.

"It's just...what?"

"No offence to Elsa Anna - or you - but...it felt like cheating."

"What?"

"You know, getting ice from her for free and just selling it. It feels wrong."

"She wouldn't mind Kristoff, I mean - "

"I would mind."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Sorry. I'd rather bust my back out here or higher up like everyone else. Makes me feel better about myself. And besides, _this_," he motioned to their surroundings. As time passed the area had taken on a sense of mystique for Anna, replacing the faint feelings of isolation and dread, "is much more fun than just riding from the castle to the town over and over again." He gave her a sheepish smile.

Anna smiled back, took a few steps forward and surprised him with a hug. "Oh you."

"I'm sure free ice would ruin the economy too or something. I'm assuming that's the reason Elsa hasn't asked herself," he said weakly, trying not to grin too much.

"You're one of the most amazing people I've ever known."

He raised an eyebrow. He wanted to pull Anna away to see if she was laughing but for some reason his hands returned her embrace instead. "How many people do you know?"

"Not many."


	3. Playtime

#####

"Yes to both."  
"And what of Weselton?"  
"Until the Duke improves his ethics? No."  
"His letters give the impression that you blame him for trying to kill you."  
"Yes they do." Elsa turned around and looked at Kai. "I've been sending him replies to the contrary every time he says that. I think he's trying to earn sympathy from the other nations."  
"That sounds… logical."  
Elsa sighed. "We all know what the Duke is like, but he raises a valid point. I've considered explaining myself to them but would they believe me?"  
"You've certainly earned the people's trust, Your Majesty."  
"Have I?" Their earlier discussions hung in the air between them, muting Kai's response. Fortunately, he didn't need to. A voice called out from the entrance of the castle. "Your Majesty!" Kai and Elsa turned to see an unassuming man calling to them. He seemed eager for an audience. Elsa looked at Kai who gently reminded her of the closeness of her next meeting. She sighed. They walked past the man and the guard accompanying him and he called out again. "Please, Queen Elsa! I need to speak to you!" She turned back. "I'm so sorry." She replied. "Please, may I see you this evening?" The man looked disappointed, but he nodded. The guard patted him on the shoulder and motioned for him to leave, but not before promising Elsa to take his name and details.

"Are you sure that's wise, my Queen?""  
"If this meeting weren't so important, I'd have seen him right away."  
"And you'd rather see him this evening?"  
"He's still a subject in need, Kai."  
"Of course. We're here." They stood in front of a large door, though which were a collection of representatives of various facets of Arendellian life. Elsa braced herself before thanking Kai and passing through.

#####

Kristoff almost wondered why he hadn't agreed to bring Anna on his trips before. People were far less likely to haggle prices if they saw that he was accompanied by the Princess of their realm. And she didn't even need to do anything. Partway through a discussion with a woman regarding the longevity of his produce ("It's ice, ma'am. How long it lasts is entirely up to you.") he looked up to see her sitting on the edge of his sled, dangling her legs while chatting to Olaf about - he strained his ears - flowers. _Again_?  
He reeled his mind back in when Anna glanced over with a smile and wave. He returned the gesture and his client also looked up. "Oh!" She immediately curtsied. "My lady! I - I didn't see you there! I'm so sorry!"  
"It's alright!" Anna called from her position. "I was just in your garden!" _Probably shouldn't have drawn attention to that…  
_"Oh. I - I hope you're well."  
"I am! How are you?"  
"I'm - I'm fine." She turned back to Kristoff, feeling light-headed. "On second thought sir, I feel I was being a bit harsh on you earlier. What was your asking price?"  
Kristoff grinned.

#####

"And there she is!" Anna jumped from the side of the sled and ran into Elsa's open arms, where the two dissolved into childish giggles. Kristoff waited for Olaf to scamper off before he walked Sven to the stables. "You gonna be okay for a bit buddy?"  
"_Yes!_"  
"Good. Now I'm just gonna go in and freshen up, 'kay?" He'd never have thought he'd say that, but that was before he began to court a Princess.  
"_Okay!_"  
"And then I'll be back to pick you up. Alright?"  
"_Alright!_"  
"Good boy."

#####

"So how was your first day with Kristoff?"  
"It was great! Could have been better though."  
"Really? Did he let you do anything?"  
"A little. I helped carry the ice to the sled!"  
"You wanted to cut the ice didn't you?"  
"Yeah."  
"Did you?"  
"Eventually."  
"And that's why you're upset?"  
"No. I wanted him to take me to the high up places - you know, where there's more ice to cut, mountains to climb and all the good stuff!"  
Elsa laughed. "All in good time Anna."  
"**Today** was a _good time_." She pouted. Chuckling, Elsa turned to Olaf. "And what about you?"  
"Today was good. We saw some new flowers today!"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah, they were really nice! And Kristoff taught me more plant names!"  
"Good for you!"  
"Yeah! He's really smart!"  
Anna snorted, "For a few things."  
"Anna! Anyway, Olaf, do you want to wait outside? We'll be down in a bit; just need to get dressed."  
"Okay!" And off he went. The sisters stopped outside Anna's door.  
"And here's your stop, sis."  
"Yeah. This really gets stuffy in town." She tugged at her winter dress. "See you in a bit!"

Elsa smiled to herself as she moved to her room. She walked up to a mannequin next to her bed. Most mannequins she knew were used to hold up the prettiest dresses or suits people only wore for balls or meetings. This wasn't like "most mannequins". This one wore something much more valuable.

Her tattered coronation dress.

She pulled it off, removed her "queenly attire" and made the switch. She was about to feel at ease. She held out her arms and saw the familiar rosemaling appear at bottom of the dress. A white substance grew up from the hem, covering both sides of the messy tear that ran up to her knee, making it look elegant and intentional. Which it was. The ice grew over her bodice and along her arms, a few flurries of snow overtaking it and coating her hands, face and hair. Finally, she stretched her arms fully and took in a deep breath as a beautiful, long cape billowed from her back, and relaxed.

The real Elsa had finally come out to play.

#####

If only anyone had turned up, as Anna had put it. The sisters were standing in the familiar castle grounds. Once this place was full of encouraging faces, who had cheered when Elsa turned the ground to ice and had spent many hours simply gliding and pivoting around her. That number had gradually decreased until now she could only see a few families. Elsa looked to her right and saw Kristoff and Sven, the former meeting her gaze and shrugging. Someone tugged at her dress. Olaf.  
"Aren't you gonna do the magic?"  
"I was hoping some more people would turn up actually."  
"Shouldn't they already be here?"  
"They should…" She stepped forward. The few attendees gathered in anticipation as she smiled weakly and raised her foot. She knew where the people had gone, of course. She'd known almost immediately after the decline had started, which itself was about the time _the letters_ had started arriving. The ones tha -  
"Elsa?"  
"Wha- oh, sorry Anna. Sorry everyone!" She put her foot down, then raised it to try again.

_Sorry everyone. _She'd spent all her time as Queen trying to apologize to the people for her Winter and the 13 years of the King and Queen's support she'd robbed them of in her childhood. If it hadn't been for her, perhaps the Kingdom would be a bit more… _popular _with their neighbours. Those letters wouldn't have arrived at all…

She saw Anna out of the corner of her eye, worry on her face, so she quickly brought her foot down, phrases from those letters flashing in front of her eyes as she did so.  
_Abdicate!  
__We do not need an Ice Witch to rule us…  
__Arendelle needs a monarch she can trust…  
_She was brought out of her reverie by the sound of gasps. She looked up in shock.

She'd created an ice rink, yes, but not one that inspired confidence in her subjects. The surface was erratic - there were smooth areas here and there, but they were interrupted by small jags. The ice would normally mimic the patterns on the walls of the courtyard. Now it covered them in sharp spikes. Fortunately, they weren't the large ones her Coronation Ball had been witness too, but she still flushed at the sight. She turned to the people and mumbled an apology. The people glanced at each other before escorting their children to the safer patches. Elsa refrained from freezing the fountains or creating snow, just to be safe.  
"What's wrong Elsa?"  
"Hmm? Nothing."  
"Yeah right."  
"No, I - I mean it. I just had a busy day I guess."  
"Nowhere near as busy as last week, and you were fine then."  
"Anna, please don't."  
"Do you need any help?"  
"No. I promise. I'll be fine." _It's not like anyone will ever turn up after this.  
_Kristoff walked over to them, a hand on Sven. "Are you okay, Elsa?"  
"Yes! Do you want to skate with Anna?"  
"What?"  
"Yeah! I thought you were gonna teach me some new move!"  
"Anna, I'm sorry. I'm just… tired. I'm going in."  
"But-"  
"Just leave her be Anna."  
"Kristoff!"  
"Hey, we all need some quiet time every now and then. Go ahead Elsa." She smiled appreciatively at him, then looked around. No sign of the stranger. Of course not. She wondered if he had given his details to the guard, but doubted it. Those letters were right. Who _could _trust her? She went inside, making a mental note to thaw the ice from the balcony in an hour or two.

"She'll be alright Anna."  
"I hope so."  
"Like I said, we all need some quiet time."  
"Last time, _quiet time_ was 13 years, give or take."  
Kristoff had no answer to that.

#####

Elsa had immediately put the "real Elsa" away and collapsed on her bed. She stared skyward as her thoughts raced. She'd made a mistake. Again. In front of those people. It was a miracle that they'd stayed with her, but in the end, she'd betrayed them too. She was dimly aware of ice creeping along the walls. When it fully dawned on her, she bolted to her window and looked out. At least the courtyard hadn't erupted in spears. At times like this, she wished she'd never been born. Or at least, she had never let her troubles escalate so far.

When the sun began to set, the collection of people below began to file out, some slipping, but all eyeing the imperfections of her playground, which had only gotten worse over time. She moved to her office and stepped onto the balcony. Below, she could see Anna waving them off and apologizing on her behalf. She smiled to herself. She didn't deserve her. She could never deserve someone like her. "Anna!" She yelled, "Do you two want to come in for dinner?"  
"Have you got anything with carrots?"  
"Of course!" She tried not to smile at the sight of Kristoff stuttering, or his blush that was somehow visible from her position. But she didn't need to fight it once she tried to melt the ice.

Because she couldn't. She tried again and she still failed. She slumped against the railing and was only roused by Anna's loud voice from directly below her. She hadn't been lying about the stress of her meetings that day and decided some food would do her good.

Only it didn't. She still failed to melt the ice on her way to bed, even after repeating her mantra and she had resigned herself to trying again in the morning. She struggled through her nightmares, where Hans was joined by magic parchment and faceless men and women, as outside a massive spire of ice grew from the ground like a great tree...


	4. The Pillar

"Elsa! Elsa, wake up!" Elsa blinked herself awake to see Anna poring over her with a worried expression. Her drowsiness cleared immediately. "What's wrong?"  
"Your ice! Come on!" She pulled her up to a sitting position. Elsa fought with herself for a moment, before looking up. "What happened?"  
"Outside, in the courtyard. There's just this massive spike just sticking up in the middle of i!"  
"What?"  
"I'll show you." Anna gave Elsa time to slip on a nightgown before pulling her to a window in the corridor outside for a clear look.

She was right. A giant, ugly spire had risen from the ground. Smaller thorns jutted out of it at random intervals. It dwarfed everything in sight, except the castle itself. Elsa's mouth hung open. Her eyes scanned the ground below. A handful people were milling at the entrance to the courtyard, staring in fear and awe, while a few servants were desperately trying to chip the growth down. "Did - did anyone get hurt?"

"Doesn't seem like it. Apparently it just sprung up overnight. Kai told me everyone was freaking out and that I had to… talk to you." _More like talk me down_. Elsabit her lip as she peered back over at the scene. "I can't believe I did this." She muttered.  
"Well, maybe you just had a bad dream?"  
"Yes, but I've always had bad dreams. Did you ever see something like this outside your window growing up?"  
Anna thought for a moment. "When's the last time you had a bad dream after a busy day of Queen stuff?"  
For a moment, Elsa was tempted to tell her about the several times she'd gone to her room to watch her sleep. That moment passed and she shrugged. "You may be right. If no-one's been hurt, just head to the study and wait for me there."  
"What are you gonna do?"  
"I just need to get dressed before melt it down."  
"Oh, right. Of course. Sorry! Study it is then. See you!" She skipped off. Elsa waited for her to go before heading to the window again. _This has never happened to me before, _she thought to herself. _What's wrong with me?_ She had a sneaking suspicion but dispelled it immediately as a result of her desperation. She briskly walked back to her room to change into her outfit for the day.

She then half-ran to the study where Anna was already waiting, peering over the balcony before she turned to the sound of the door opening. "Oh, you're here."  
"Has anything happened? Has anyone said anything?" She walked over to peer down next to her.  
"Nope. There's still a few people who, I dunno, think you're practicing making Christmas Trees or something, but the guards are chasing them off. Like that one there!" Elsa looked across the year to where a soldier was herding a group of wide eyed youngsters onto the bridge. "Still no-one hurt?"  
"How? It's not exactly hard to see, is it? Stop being paranoid!" _If only it were that easy. _Elsa raised her hands and concentrated on the pillar.

Nothing happened. She exchanged puzzled glances with Anna before trying again. Still nothing. She furrowed her brow and her eye passed over the icy ground she'd failed to melt yesterday. She passed her hand over it and the ice flew into the air. Elsa released the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding as it flickered out of sight. That was some good news at least. But why wasn't the pillar moving? Anna placed her hand on her chin for a moment before speaking. "Maybe you could try from down there?"  
"What good would that do?"  
"Maybe you need to be closer?"  
"That's never been a problem before!"  
"Hey! I'm just trying to help! No need to shout!"  
"I'm not shouting…" Elsa mumbled as she looked back down, "but let's try it."

The sisters strode out into the yard and approached the base of the tree, closely followed by Kai who had been waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. Elsa looked back. The guards were doing a good job keeping the area clean, with the exception of a few determined individuals who thought they would be in for another show. Elsa tried placing her palms on the base of the spike. Flowery patterns danced underneath the ice directly in contact with her as she concentrated. Still nothing. Anna spoke up again.  
"What now?"  
"I - I don't know!"  
"Did anything like this happen when you were younger?"  
"Sometimes I broke something and - and a servant would have to break the ice down." She cringed at Anna's expression, one that flitted across her face whenever she was reminded that others had known her secret in the years they'd spent apart. "Well, the guards have been trying to chop this thing down since this morning- and look!- not even a scratch." Elsa took a deep breath as her theory swum to the forefront of her mind. "Maybe…"  
"Maybe what?"  
"Maybe…" But the thought faded. It was _her _fault - and _her _ice- and no fantasy could change that. She pressed her palm to the trunk of the pillar and closed her eyes to try again. _Love will thaw, Elsa. Anna is right here. Love will -_

"Your majesty?" They turned to see two guards marching a man towards them. Elsa frowned. What could they possibly want that would make them distract her from this?  
"May I help you?"  
"Sorry to disturb you Queen Elsa, but this man wanted to talk to you." He stepped aside, depriving the stranger of a hiding place. He bowed deeply. However, whereas most men would _remove_ their hats when they did so, he chose to firmly clamp his over his head with a hand. The resulting gesture looked as ridiculous as the Duke of Weselton's flimsy wig, although any humour in the situation was immediately defused when he looked up.

It wasn't _a _stranger. It was _the _stranger. From the day before. The man looked her directly in the eye and spoke.

"I know why you can't melt this ice Your Majesty."  
"Why? And - and how?"  
"Queen Elsa, I beg you, please grant me a private audience."


	5. Áno

Elsa blinked. The guard who had spoken before was doing so again. "How dare you act so familiar with the Queen?"  
"I'm sorry, sir, but I simply asked the Queen for a reasonable request."  
"Reasonable is it? We-" The guard stopped when Elsa raised her hand, "What do you mean by _reasonable_?"  
"Forgive me for acting so _familiar _to you," the man spared a glance at the guard who looked back indignantly, "but surely you'd understand more than anyone the need to discuss something like this in private?" He certainly had a point. Elsa had had to live out her entire childhood in secrecy after all. She looked over to Kai, who was looking at the man with narrowed eyes. "I would like to escort this man to the study and speak to him there." Kai bowed.  
"I will ask the servants to give you some privacy."  
"You can't be serious Mr. Kai! You're letting a stranger-"  
"Ice powers! Hello?" Anna pointed at the spike that had caused the commotion. The guard's argument died in his throat. He merely looked at each of them in turn (with a suspicious scowl for the man) and returned to his position with his friend. Kai took his leave and the discussion moved back into the building.

Although Anna was eventually left out, much to her chagrin when her sister stopped her in the doorway of her office. "No fair! You can trust me!"  
"If it were up to me, I would Anna." Elsa was standing inside the room, her hand on the door. The man was already inside, looking at the sisters with a bemused expression. Anna picked up on it. "Look at him! You don't have a problem with me being here do you?  
"N- not at all, Your Highness."  
"See?"  
"You're scaring him Anna. Just- go away." That sounded too familiar to both of them and when their eyes met, they knew the feeling was mutual. They each mumbled their apologies but Anna stopped Elsa closing the door with her foot. "Could you at least tell me your name?" The man smiled.  
"My name is Áno." Anna rolled the name over in her tongue and that was the last he saw of her before Elsa closed the door.  
At first, there was an awkward silence. Áno coughed gently and held his hand out. "As I said, my name is Áno. I'm honoured to make your acquaintance." Elsa moved her hand halfway to his before she froze in shock.

_How could she touch him?_

She always made it a point to refrain from human contact, Anna being the sole exception. Even then, it was nearly always Anna who instigated their hugs ("A simple _handshake_? Pah!"). But how could she touch someone when she knew all it would take was a loud noise or a sudden comment before she froze them? What if something happened as her hand made its way down and her ice hit Áno in the head or heart? She cringed as she pulled her hand back, ashamed of herself as Áno shrugged and withdrew his own with a sad smile. _He probably thinks I see him as a lowly commoner or something._ "Áno, it's not what you think - it's just - I don't want to hurt you. I've been stressed for a few days and my powers can be unpredictable when that happens and - I'm sorry."

"I understand." He smiled warmly at her, but it only made her feel worse. _He's just putting on a brave face._ Determined to mend his impression of her, she asked him to talk about himself.  
"Are - are you sure Your Majesty?"  
"Yes. The ice can wait. Tell me who you are."  
"Oh. Um. Well, no-one's ever asked me that before…" He chuckled nervously. "Well, like I said, my name's Áno, I'm a labourer and I live on the outskirts of the city. Let's see… I was born and raised in Arendelle, but I spent most of my life in Weselton..."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Oh, congratulations on dropping trade with them by the way The Duke definitely had it coming." Elsa couldn't help but chuckle, but stopped as soon as she saw that he had retreated into his shell. "Áno, you can talk to me."  
"I - I know, ma'am, but…" He looked back out at the ice, "I just wanted to talk to you about that, I mean, you're you - a Queen and I'm - I'm me, a commoner…" She didn't think it possible but he seemed to have shrunk further than he had been when the conversation started. She felt sorry for him and thought to herself before an idea dawned on her. "Would you be more comfortable if you weren't speaking to a Queen?"  
"Y - yes?" She smiled.  
"Would this help?" She simply moved her hands to her head, gently removed her crown and placed it on the desk to her side. Her smile widened along with Áno's eyes.  
"Yeah! I mean, yes it does, Your Majesty. A little bit."

#####

Anna sighed. The sight of a closed door flashed before her and the words "Go away Anna" echoed through her head. She had been childish and hadn't actually expected to be let into the "secret discussion", but the end of that conversation had brought back too many bad memories of closed doors and mumbled warnings. She shook her head to get them out. They were all in the past. There was no way any of those things would happen again. She glanced back at the door to Elsa's study. How she wondered what was going on in there…

#####

It seemed that removing her crown had helped Áno more than he had said it would. Although he didn't say too much and kept glancing back at the ice, he had managed to tell her how he'd gone about acquiring his trade, when he'd moved to Weselton and when he'd moved back. He refused to go into specifics, but Elsa was content with the information she'd managed to gleam from his speech and appearance. If he truly had been born in Arendelle, he would most likely have been born to one of the more distant tribes that occasionally traded in the markets. The few locations he'd mentioned from his past corroborated this theory, as did his accent and tanned skin, which was a faint version of those she'd come to associate with those people. No doubt Áno had begun to lose his after spending over half his life in the Dukedom. Although he was nervous, she had eventually managed to prompt him into asking a few questions of his own. She was amazed at finally finding someone with weaker people skills than her! But when the day began in earnest, she had to move the discussion onto more important matters.

"What did you mean about my ice?"  
"I'm sorry?"  
"My ice - the - the spike there. Why can't I get rid of it?" _Why would he even ask that? Unless…  
_"It isn't yours to remove." _Of course._ Elsa felt a strange flood of emotions inside her. _I'm not alone! Finally, someone who can understand what it's like to be me - someone who can help me! _An image of Anna flashed before her eyes but she dispelled it guiltily. Anna _could _keep her in check, yes, but if she could find someone who could help her to fully _control it…  
_"Who - whose is it?"

Áno looked out the window and peered into the courtyard below, as well as along the bridge. A few early birds had already entered and were currently gazing at the spire in awe. Any longer and the "accident" could very well become a "situation". He turned back to Elsa, looked at the crown beside them, then looked back. His hand moved to the cap on his head, which looked remarkably similar to the one Kristoff wore when leaving for the mountains and clashed horribly with his otherwise ordinary attire. He took a deep breath and pulled it off.

Kai, being as shrewd as he was, probably figured it out immediately. Elsa herself lacked the skills to pick up on the many hints (all too obvious, she admitted) in front of her all along. Áno's hair was on the long end of "average" and wild from being restrained, but what made her jaw drop was how his hair contrasted with his tanned skin and dark eyebrows.

Because it was a familiar platinum blonde.

#####

**A/N: ****Áno is pronounced "Ah-no"; think the "Ah" from Frozen!Anna and the "no" from "snow".  
****Don't forget to post a review, even if you hated this. I promise to take into account any criticism you may have.**


	6. A Stranger More Like Me

"You're... you can do it too?" Áno nodded sheepishly. "Your Majesty? May I suggest we remove the ice?"  
"What? Oh, yes, but how? Will you do it?"  
"Yes," he looked back down, "but can I ask you to take the credit for it?" Elsa understood immediately. He didn't want the public to know of him. Given what had happened to her, how could she blame him? She moved to the balcony, asking him to provide a signal. She looked down at the courtyard, and at the few people milling around, looking up at her. She put on a smile and waved to them, hoping they wouldn't be alarmed by the growth in front of them. She glanced back to see Áno preparing himself- the same way she did when she was nervous. "Are you ready?" He nodded. Elsa turned around and made a show of gracefully holding her arms out above the spike. When Áno whispered to her to do so, she raised her arms and the spike disappeared.

Or rather, it shattered. Elsa gasped as the pillar exploded into tiny fragments of ice that billowed outwards, carried by the wind. Áno rushed forward, wanting to see what he'd done before a self-preservation instinct kicked in causing him to try and brake, the net result being that he tripped over his own feet and collapsed beside her, head slamming against the balustrade. Elsa's eyes darted between him and the mess he'd caused, before realizing that there was no mess. Áno's method was a lot less- elegant- than hers, but it had worked. She smiled again, weakly this time, to the guards who had rushed out at the noise before pulling Áno indoors.  
"Are you alright?"  
"Yes, Your Majesty. I- ow!- I've got a thick skull." Elsa smiled as one of Anna's stories sprang to her mind. "I'm- I'm sorry about that."  
"You don't have to apologize." She pulled him to his feet. "But please, tell me- more- about yourself." Áno ran his fingers through his hair and Elsa realized that he had pulled himself up to his full height. The change was quite remarkable; although he still looked skinny, he'd gone from being as tall as herself to almost as tall as Kristoff. When he spoke, he seemed a lot more sure of himself and didn't stutter nearly as much. Elsa privately wondered how _she'd_ changed since her coronation, and whether he'd needed to make himself some new clothes first.

Something he said brought her out of her reverie. "Say that again."  
"I'm sorry?"  
"I didn't quite catch that last part." Actually, she had. She just didn't want to believe it.  
"I... don't have anyone. At all."  
"Not a single friend? Not even- not even parents? Or a sister or brother?" He shook his head and she was again reminded of Anna and how lucky she was to have her.  
"That's why it's so easy for me to move between places and jobs," continued Áno, "either they're relieved to see me go, or they never knew me enough to notice when I stopped turning up."  
"That's terrible."  
"No," he somehow _laughed_, "what's terrible is the number of people who tried to chase me away; there are so many I made a list!" Elsa didn't know whether to laugh with him or console him, but her thoughts were distracted by the very real list he pulled from an inner pocket and waved in her face. She saw a series of names and dates written on it with a delicate hand. Áno put the list away as those pieces of information had time to sink in, specifically the first entries. "Áno," she breathed, "how old are you?"

He smiled sadly. "I think you know, Queen Elsa." How she hoped she was wrong.  
"And... why were some of those names ticked off?" Áno pulled out the list and read through it himself.  
"Oh, they're people I managed to meet in later life. You know, people I hoped would give me a second chance."  
"And did they?"  
"Eh." He shrugged and pointed to one name, Henrik. "I met _him_ two years ago in Weselton. He's probably the closest thing I have to a friend. And _this_ one," he pointed at another name, "I met on the night of your coronation, in fact."  
"Oh. Did he accept you?"  
"We nearly came to blows about it, but I came out on top. I'd like to meet this guy though: Soren? I heard he'd set up a business here somewhere..." Elsa was amazed, both by his need to remember all those names, but also by his near-complete nonchalance about the matter. There were so many names, and he didn't have anyone to keep him safe or hidden, whatever their intentions. She wanted to try a different tack and learn something about their shared gift/ curse.

"How did you keep your powers hidden?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"H- what did you do to hide them? Were you ever taught to say something over and over to, I dunno, calm yourself down?"  
"No."  
"Did you ever need to, you know, wear gloves? I did."  
"I didn't, no."  
"Then how? How did you control them?"  
"I... I don't know. When I got older I just stopped freezing things whenever I was scared. I don't think I ever actually sat down and asked myself why." _What? _Elsa's mind raced. _I had some control over mine as a child, but mother and father... did _they _make things worse?_ Not for the first time, she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't hurt Anna that day.

"What did you want to ask me yesterday?"  
"The same thing I want to ask you now." Áno took a deep breath. "I wanted you to... make an announcement. About me."  
"What?"  
"The kingdom trusts you. If you could, I dunno, tell them you're not the only one, that I exist and I'm not a threat, maybe they could trust me too."  
"It's like you're asking for a pardon for a crime you didn't commit."  
"I know. But you understand, don't you?" She looked at his face, and his expression of longing. Of course she did.  
"But Áno, most of them are scared of me."  
"I may not spend much time among the people Your Majesty, but I've heard enough to know that's not the case."  
"Really?" She highly doubted that, but appreciated the sentiment. When Áno nodded, she smiled anyway. "I'll be making a public announcement in little over a week, did you know that?"  
"Yes."  
"If you'd like to come for that, I'll introduce you then."  
"Thank you my Queen. But I have one other request..." He blushed slightly.

"Could you teach me?"  
"What?"  
"I can't make people happy with my powers like you can."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You can turn the ground into a playground and turn fountains into sculptures, I... All I can do is throw spikes everywhere." He motioned to the courtyard. "That was supposed to be a tree."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. Yesterday's guard wasn't very pleasant. I thought I could, I don't know, sneak in and leave _something_ to guarantee an audience with you." He shrugged again. "I'm really sorry. I must have caused quite a hassle for you, and I certainly didn't help right now either..."  
But how could Elsa possibly hold any of that against him? "It's nothing I can't handle Áno." They heard the sound of footsteps approaching, then a familiar knock.

"Elsa! How long are you gonna be in there? Kai's coming up with a guard!"  
"Just hold them off for a bit Anna!" Elsa looked at the time. "I'm sorry, but she's right. It's getting quite late."  
"I understand. Will I be escorted out?"  
"Yes, but you don't have to go just yet- would you like to stay for breakfast?"  
Áno shook his head nervously. "Don't worry about who you are Áno, no-one will judge you." _Besides, you'd certainly make Kristoff feel more comfortable._  
"I thank you for the offer Your Majesty, but my tastes are a bit simpler than yours. And more specific."  
"We serve carrots?" Anna slammed the door again ("Elsa! Hurry up!"). Áno simply smiled as he slipped his cap back on, covering every strand of his fair hair. "You can tell her if you like Queen Elsa. She must have been quite helpful to you over the years." Elsa tried to mask her shock at hearing those words. _He doesn't know about me! Shouldn't I tell him?_

But her nerve failed her and she instead asked him for his address. Once she calmed him down by saying she would never give the information to a servant, he acquiesced. As she walked over to the door:  
"It was nice meeting you Elsa." Her hand stopped on the doorknob as she looked at him, her surprise mirrored on his own face as he quickly corrected himself. "Queen Elsa. Forgive me." She gave him a small smile and opened the door. "Anna! Calm down!" Anna, who until now had been looking down the hallway, turned to her sister and her face immediately split into a huge grin. It took until the sound of further footsteps reached them for Elsa to yelp, turn, grab her crown and return it to her head.

Once Áno had been taken away, having return to his defensive, quiet self who quietly bid the sisters farewell, Anna turned to her. "Who was that?"  
"Just a friend. Let's just eat, okay? Is Kristoff here?"  
"Yeah. Did you invite _him_? Áno, right?"  
"Yes, but he refused."  
"That's a shame. I'll meet you in the hall, okay? They've got chocolate!"


	7. A Broken Promise

_It was a quaint home, built of wood. The furniture was old, but the owner never once considered replacing anything. Why would he need to? He was often at work and would be too tired to notice the groan of his bed, or the dust on the long abandoned vase in the corner. Perhaps if he'd ever had guests, but that would never happen. Or so he thought._

_"Yes, you can just sit there, that's right. I'm fine here." He sat in the older chair of the bunch, which creaked under his weight. "Now can I get you anything? Water? It is clean, don't worry about that - oh, not thirsty?"_  
_"Please, I'm really not in the mood for anything like that right now."_  
_"What's wrong?"_  
_"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise."_  
_"I understand."_  
_"Do you? You don't know what happened out there."_  
_"Then tell me."_

#####

Elsa's day had started well enough. Anna had somehow kept her promise of getting up on time and had even had the cheek to climb onto her bed, like when they were children, to let her know (not that she held it against her). She'd managed to extricate herself long enough to get changed and had shared a breakfast with her and Kristoff before they headed out for another day on the ice. Anna was as bubbly as ever as she eagerly announced that he had finally agreed (_"Given in" was more likely_, thought Elsa) to her requests to go to a more distant site for harvesting and warned her that she'd be a bit late coming home. Elsa had smiled, wished her the best of luck and to stay safe before waving them off.

She had picked up a pile of letters on her way back to her room. Most of them were relatively straightforward notes that had been passed on from various guilds regarding funding, or reminders to speak to trade partners about this or that. There was a letter from Weselton regarding the lack of trade between them (again) only this time it was joined by a letter from a neighboring country, curious as to why she would refuse business with such a valuable ally. She frowned before realizing her own letters would still be onboard various ships, or in the pouches of various couriers. A handful contained messages from well-wishers. She scoffed as she read them, the scepticism a result of the fact that they all came from kingdoms that had either already approached her for trade or were about to, not to mention the fact that each was written by a "highly eligible" Prince or a young monarch like herself. The final three bore no names although the seals were far too familiar to her. Blazing suns. Why _three_? For a moment all she could do was stare but she quickly resolved herself and tore the first envelope open.

The next few hours were spent in meetings, where she bore witness to petty arguments between guild representatives and her own arguments. She kept track of every word said, of course, in case she needed to voice her opinion or interject if the men and women around her got too heated. It was in this room that she learnt most about people; how they would alter their body language or mannerisms when pleading a case, or the way they could deflect blows to themselves by raising a completely different topic and diverting the conversation altogether, or how they would sometimes simply play dumb when cornered. There were a few valid issues raised every now and then and the people in this room weren't necessarily _bad_ (merely misguided) but she would usually just wait them out.

After lunch, she was given the opportunity to wander the castle freely (or as freely as a Queen can be). Fortunately Olaf had declined Kristoff's offer and had decided to tag along with her and she relished the company. It was such a joy to simply relax and listen to him speak of the world outside with none of the hardness or mistrust that she had accumulated over the years. She didn't even have to say anything; he spoke enough for the two of them. For instance, when Elsa visited the inner gardens he had forged straight for the ducklings Anna had "adopted" and had recited everything Anna had taught him about them. Most of those things were either misconceptions or outright fiction, but Elsa was content to just lean against a tree and watch, laughing as he tried to chase the birds down.

But she had spent 13 years inside the castle, and nowhere near enough time outside. Once the ducklings had had enough (as far as she could tell), she had recalled him and they had walked to the courtyard. Despite the incident with Áno, people were still milling around. Some children were splashing each other from water in the fountains, while others tossed bread crumbs to the pigeons that eagerly chased after them. Parents milled together chatting and occasionally chastising the over excited child or comforting the hurt one. Elsa turned to go in before noticing Olaf was absent, although her panic was short-lived as she turned to see him waddling over to a heavily built man who had been gazing up at the castle. The man turned, beamed and sank to his knee. Clearly he and Olaf were friends.

"Hello my little friend!"  
"Hello Raf! How are you?"  
"I'm doing splendidly. I haven't seen you lately."  
"I've just been trying out some new things. I went with Anna to cut some ice last week!"  
"Really? And how was that?"  
"I didn't really do much, but it was fun."  
"Have you been since?"  
"She went today, but I wanted to stay here with Elsa - oh, there she is! Hi Elsa!" When Elsa came over, she quickly introduced her to Raphael. She smiled and gave him a quick nod, the latter of which he returned. Raphael appeared much stronger up close. He was far taller than anyone she'd ever met, and while he was very large she couldn't see an inch of fat. "Hello sir. I'm glad to see you and Olaf are such good friends." Raphael nodded again. "We met a while ago," he began, "my daughter is quite fond of him." Saying so, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a thin strip of purple cloth. He bent down and held it in front of the snowman. "This is from Penelope Olaf."  
"Oh. What is it?"  
"She said it was a scarf and that it would look good on you. May I put it on?" Olaf simply exposed his neck (such as it was) to the man, who tied the scarf around it. Olaf looked down at it and smiled. "It does look good on me! What do you think Elsa?"  
"I think it looks good too, Olaf. I think it would look very nice with one of your hats." She turned to Raphael, whose smile died when he noticed. "Thank you sir. And your daughter too." He gave her a curt nod and turned up his collar. Ignoring her stunned look (or maybe he just chose not to say anything) he left.

#####

_"That was the first time you met?"_  
_"Yes. I should have known it wasn't going to end well."_  
_"Keep going."_

#####

The afternoon brought more meetings, of a sort. Her father had originally instated a policy that allowed any entrepreneur or person in great trouble the chance to seek an audience with him. It was one of the policies abolished as a result of closing the gates due to Elsa's powers and as such was one of the few royal duties she threw herself into heart, body and soul. That didn't necessarily mean she enjoyed it though. On one hand, most of the people she spoke to had genuine concerns, unlike the officials of the morning, but she usually needed a few minutes at the end of each session to choke down tears. Some people were new to Arendelle, or simply unlucky, and needed her blessing to set up their businesses. Like Mr Magnar.

"Let me tell you Queen Elsa, that these are the finest silks you'll ever see. I've struggled so much to perfect my methods but I've been unable to find even a single opening in the market. I humbly request your aid." From a distance, he appeared to be the typical bumbling catastrophe, bald and plump and prone to bursting into sweat at the drop of a hat. Then again, so did Kai (minus the sweat) and he was one of the shrewdest men she knew. Anna looked nothing short of perfect (or so she was often told) yet she had run home the day before dripping salt water. Once he had started talking though, Elsa had seen the sharp eyes and the trained hands of an intellectual and an expert craftsman.

"The tailor Henrik makes the same claim sir," she replied, "what would you say to that?"  
"Ah, I would say that I respect Henrik and his sons, but I would criticize his narrow-mindedness, for he knows only the techniques that have been handed down to him. His clothes are very nice, but he lacks my knowledge."  
"And what knowledge is that?"  
"I have traveled the lands, my Lady. I have seen and learned so much on top of the teachings of my own dear mother, who had done the same before me."  
"And what countries would those be?"  
"Many, my Queen. Why, I recently spoke to the most extraordinary woman in the Southern Isles and - oh dear." He cringed and looked up at her. "Forgive me, Your Majesty."  
Elsa merely brushed him off. "I bear no ill will towards a country on account of the actions of an ambassador, whatever his status before or after the act. I have heard that Henrik is feeling the strain of being one of the few silk weavers of the country. Are you able to wait a week?"  
"Yes Your Majesty."  
"Then if you would be so kind as to return here and ask for the Guildsman Lae," she waited for the weaver to mouth the name to himself, "I will by then have arranged for you to receive appropriate funding and a location from which to sell your wares. Kai?" She turned to the Royal Handler beside her who recited the note he had just made on his roll of parchment. "_Soren Magnar is to receive an investment for the acquisition of the relevant equipment and premises for a silkweaver in a week's time. _Will that be all sir?"  
"Yes sir, ma'am."  
"But before you go, have you ever had a business here before?"  
"N-no Your Majesty. Did I not say at the beginning of my hearing that this is my first venture in Arendelle?" He looked at Kai who merely shrugged.  
Elsa cringed and tried to appease him. "I meant to say, have you apprenticed here before?"  
"Oh," it appeared to have worked, "no, my Lady. Although I _have_ apprenticed in my home country if that's an issue."  
"Not at all. I simply seem to remember your name from somewhere is all. Your father?"  
"My father is not of Arendelle Queen Elsa. Could you perhaps be referring to my middle name? My mother gave it to me and she lived here for most of her life."  
"No. I'm sorry for the confusion. Have a good day."

#####

_A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. The man opened it to reveal a courier. "Is this the residence of Mr. Foreldreløs?"  
"That's me. May I take the package?"  
"Indeed sir. Have a nice day." The man took one look at the parcel before scribbling a note on the cover dropping it onto a table.  
"That's not your name."  
He looked across at his guest as he returned to his seat, lowering himself slowly to reduce the noise it made. "No, but I feel my real name causes undue tension."  
"If you say so..." The story continued._

#####

The evening was supposed to be the best part of Elsa's day, although she felt nervous. She couldn't forget what happened during her last "session" with the people and had given up hope that any would return, until Olaf had excitedly pointed to her window. There, assembled below were more people than she had seen in weeks! She had been happy at first and her smile widened when she recognized some of the people assembled below, like the man with a penchant for twirling his hat! The man who had had the nerve to ask her for a drink (which she had declined, to Anna's chagrin)! Olaf had happily pointed out Raphael, while lamenting that he hadn't brought his daughter with him and wondering who he'd come with instead. But this was why she was wary. She always felt bad after an incident and she felt the timing for a boom in attendance couldn't be worse. Her feelings had been reflected in the trouble she'd had in assembling her ice dress, although she'd persevered and joined Olaf on his way down the stairs, desperate to catch some of the excitement he was oozing.

She had stepped out into the center of the courtyard as usual and waited for the people to crowd around her and Olaf. She repeated her phrase to signal the beginning of the evening's fun: "Are you ready?" But she was greeted with far fewer smiles than she'd expected; even fewer than the week before. In her moment of hesitation she heard a brief scuffle directly in front of her as three men broke through the crowd, with more behind them.

The man on her left was old, tall, skinny and wore spectacles. If he hadn't been scowling, she could tell he might have looked very much the father figure. The man on her left was also old, but otherwise the complete opposite: short, slightly fat and probably never lost _his_ scowl, dressed in rich clothes while his opposite wore a simple attire. The man in the middle dwarfed both in height and bulk. His red shirt with its upturned collar clashed with her own icy blue attire.

Raphael held his arms out to the crowd before speaking to her. "I think we are, _Ice Witch_."

* * *

**A/N: Internet cookie to whoever can identify Raphael and his cronies :) Also, I'm trying a less dialogue heavy writing style and it feels good for me. A commenter on reddit agreed with it as well. If you preferred the old style or want me to stick to the new one, please let me know.**


	8. Raphael

Something had seemed off to Anna when she and Kristoff were walking in the streets. What was it? She looked closely at the people surrounding her again. She knew that woman; she was at Elsa's "parties" almost every week, the thought reminding her with a jolt that she had probably missed it. She hadn't expected time to fly by so quickly! And there was a boy, jacket curled up in his hand, the other tightly gripping his mother's. She wondered what had happened to alarm him so. There was something she was missing. Something really, really obvious. She was shocked from her reverie by the loud sound of Kristoff's voice, "I got you this; you hungry?" It was a small ice cream. She accepted it, not willing to admit that her meals hadn't been enough to cover her day of exertion. _Food was probably the problem_, she thought to herself. _Everyone's really tired at this time of day. They'll all be fine once they have their dinner._

She made the mistake of looking over at the first woman again. And it dawned on her.

They were all looking at _her_.

But why? She was clumsy and had caused a bit of damage in her time on the streets, but she hadn't done enough to earn the town's animosity, had she? Actually, she probably had. But the people would be angry or, if her status as a Princess was too daunting, wary or grumpy at least.

Not scared.

One explanation forced itself to the forefront of her mind. She forced the ice cream into the hand of the now surprised boy and broke into a run, all fatigue forgotten.

#####

"My _Queen_," sneered Raphael, "have you not done enough damage to our country? Don't you think it's time to leave, before you set off another of your fabled winters?"  
"Why are you doing this?" Elsa had backed up due to the sheer power in his voice. The large number of men flanking him hadn't helped either. Out of the corners of her eye, she saw guards who were observing the commotion, ready to step in at a moment's notice. "Please leave."  
"Forgive me Your Majesty, but you were warned we would be here today."  
"What - what do you want?" A familiar sense of panic was rising up in her chest, making it hard to breath. She held her hands to her chest, lest her powers chose to lash out and hurt someone.  
"What _do _we want, my friends?" He turned to face the crowd, hands held high. He turned around at the single word that echoed from each member.  
"Abdication!" Raphael continued talking, a wicked grin reaching across his face as he looked down on her. "Do we want to be subject to the whims of a witch?"  
"No!" _Why was this happening?!  
_"Do we want a ruler who can toy with our lives with the flick of a hand?"  
"Please! I - I di - I haven't hurt any of you!"  
Raphael rounded on her. Behind him, she could see guards fighting their way through the crowd. "Are you really so narrow-minded Queen Elsa?" He snarled. He straightened up then looked directly at Olaf, who was clutching her dress, hiding behind her leg. "Tell your mistress where Penelope's mother is!" He barked.  
"She told me she didn't have one."  
"And did she tell you _when_ that change happened?"  
"No..." Elsa had a sneaking suspicion that only made her heart beat faster. She looked around, desperate for a way out.  
"What if I told you she died at the same time as Carsten's wife?" He motioned to the short bald man. "Or that she died alongside Stan's son?" The tall one. Elsa knew where he was going with this. A guard had finally managed to force his way through the mob. "What are you doing? Disperse! Now, or we will use force!"  
"On what charge sir?" Raphael drew himself up to his full height, dwarfing the guard.  
"Causing a disruption. Do any more and you will be imprisoned."  
"I am merely telling Your Queen the truth, and dispelling whatever illusions the inhabitants of this castle have wrapped themselves up in." He took a step back and held his arms wide again. "Queen Elsa, all these people died by your hand, by your first act as our monarch."

#####

Kristoff had asked her why she was so sure what the problem was. Surely there were a lot of reasons her people would be afraid, right? The fact that he had managed to raise an eyebrow while running at full speed impressed her enough to slow to a halt and ponder the question. Although she would never admit it, she had had misgivings about leaving Arendelle for the day. In fact, a part of her always panicked whenever she had to leave the castle. "I just have a bad feeling."  
"You should have a little faith Anna. Don't burden yourself with more than you need to." They had begun moving again, but at a brisk walk, which was much more manageable. She _wanted_ to believe that and her refusal to do so was filling her with an enormous amount of guilt. She couldn't think of a suitable answer so simply kept her head down and quickened her pace.

She wasn't sure why she had broken into a run soon after. It was some instinct, possibly a result of the fear that refused to leave her system. Kristoff seemed to understand, as he had wordlessly jogged after her, ignoring his aching muscles. It was when she looked up while they were on the bridge leading to the castle that Anna's suspicious nature was rewarded.

Although it wasn't much of a reward. It was only once they'd crossed the bridge and stopped in the entrance to the courtyard that what little disbelief they'd had vanished. She hadn't been late after all.

Ice. Giant, spiky barriers of ice erupted from the ground everywhere. The fountains were frozen, the water forming horrific shapes. Thick ice coated the floor and walls, the walls having their own spikes jutting from them. Guards were running like headless chickens, desperately trying to free those who had been trapped or pinned down and carrying those who - who - _no_.

She would have known where to go even without the castle doors still wide open. She would have known where to go even without the trail of ice leading the way. She would also have known that _the_ door would once again be locked.

#####

_My winter. I - I killed all those people.  
_"Your Majesty. Just give us the word and these men will be removed." Raphael and his cronies smiled smugly at her from behind the guard's back.  
_I wanted a way out. But not like this._  
"No - no need, sir. They haven't done anything wrong." _If I make them leave now, they'll win. Well, it's not like they were ever going to lose..._  
Carsten spoke up. "They were all weak innocents, Queen Elsa." His voice was slightly high-pitched. "Do you know what it's like to feel cold? We had no firewood, we didn't have time to buy warm clothes, the blizzard was far more intense than any natural winter so we couldn't go outside." Elsa hid her hands behind her back, no longer able to control the thin wafts of frosty air and snowflakes that fluttered from them. _Please don't push me. Just leave me be..._  
"I - There was funding for those who were affected..." The excuse was terrible and she knew it. Ice was beginning to spread from where she was standing.  
"Money?" Stan's turn "That's all you rich folk care about, isn't it? Is that what you did in that castle? Count how many gold bars you'd collected? We're talking about lives!" There was a cheer from the people behind him. The ice was now underneath all of them. _Please! Love will thaw, Elsa! Love will thaw!_  
"We want you to leave this kingdom before you damage it even more!" Echoes of approval. Desperate, Elsa looked back at the people who weren't protesting. They were a small bunch, but what made it worse was that not one of them spoke up. Almost as if he'd read her mind, Carsten cackled. "Why would they defend you? You let them skate? No sane person would value that over your murders." _Murders? They - they were, weren't they? _She tried to back away, her ice now crawling up the walls. _Please Elsa! Just think of the fjord! Love will thaw! Love - love will... _She looked around. Still, no-one had come to her defense beside Olaf, who stood in front of her but could do nothing else.

_Anna! Please, where are you?!_

"What do we want?" _Don't drag her into this Elsa. It's not her fault._  
"Abdication!" _It's not her fault you're a disaster and an utter failure._  
"Should we be subjected to the whims of this sorceress?" _But what I wouldn't give for her to be here right now. Anna! _She backed into a fountain.  
"No!" _She isn't going to be there for you forever, Elsa. _It froze over, just like it did on that night. The recognition knocked down the first of many dominoes. Spikes of ice began to emerge from the inner walls of the courtyard.

_Conceal, don't feel._

No-one was coming to save her. Olaf was looking up at her, worry etched on his face, but he was powerless against the mob. Her hands began to tremble as she struggled to control herself.

Olaf aside, there was no-one to defend her, not that she had anything to defend. The ice around her became uneven.

_Conceal it, don't feel it._

"What do we want?" Ignoring the ice coating them, Elsa held her head in her hands. Besides, if they froze her, all the better. _It's not working!_ She could clearly see the spikes growing from the earth like saplings.  
"Abdication!" It was too much. The rest of the dominoes collapsed.

"_Leave me be!_" A barrier of ice, just like the one she'd used to block Anna's advances erupted in front of her. Raphael smiled. _I've just made this far easier for him. _But the realization came too late. A second wall burst from the ground at the back of the mob, the closest members choosing to turn and run. Her powers seemed to have a mind of their own, erecting further walls to seal them off. The guards stood with their mouths open as further walls emerged, cutting them off from her. Some protesters had tried running for the sides of the courtyard. The spikes already present along the walls grew to meet them. Those that ducked into the archway had barely a second's rest before ice erupted from the ground, pinning them in place.

Raphael had a mad grin on his face as his voice boomed. "The Queen, when faced with her crimes, chooses to silence us instead of atone!" He turned to face her. "Will you kill me too? What about my daughter?"  
"No! Please. You - you win, okay? I can't control this. Please leave!" A scream from behind him. He turned to see Cartsen trapped by a far too small circle of spikes, clutching his arm in agony. He ran over to help. _I'm hurting them! I'm still hurting them! _She wanted to run away herself. She eyed the bridge, but stopped.

What if it began to snow again? What good did running away do last time? She again thought of Anna, whose heart had been frozen simply because she had wanted what she thought was best for her. Further screams and the sight of a man collapsed on the ground. Even the people who had simply come to skate were at risk. She stared at them with watering eyes as they too ran for their lives. It was a miracle her dress hadn't erupted into a mass of sharp edges with the emotions boiling within her.

She couldn't run _away_, but there was something she could do instead. She freed herself from Olaf's grip, turned and ran into the castle, all too aware that she was leaving a trail of ice in her wake. She knew the one person she cared for above all would already know where to find her anyway.

#####

Even the corridor leading up to her room had turned to ice, with spikes adorning the corners. She stood outside the door, took a deep breath, mist forming before her and knocked. "Elsa? I know you're in there." She already knew what the answer would be.  
"Go away Anna." It didn't hurt any less.  
"Just let me in."  
No answer.  
"Whatever happened today - just - _please_ don't - you can't spend another thirteen years like this."  
A long pause. Anna sighed, turning at the sound of Olaf waddling along the corridor to meet her. She gave him a sad smile but her head immediately whipped forward when Elsa answered.

"Yes I can."


	9. Guilt

"E-Elsa?" Anna couldn't believe her ears. "Please, you can't mean that."  
She heard Elsa take a deep, shaky breath. "You're right Anna." Anna dared to hope, but Elsa added to her statement. "13 years isn't enough."  
"Elsa! No!" Anna pressed her head against the door. "Just... talk to me. Please. I can help you."

She heard a strangled sob from her sister, and the _thud_ of her body slamming into the other side of the wooden barrier between them. Elsa stuttered many times before spitting the words out. "Anna... I - I killed so many people..."  
Anna was speechless for a moment, not helped by Olaf's defeated face staring up at her. "Wh - what do you mean? When? How?"  
"My coronation Anna! Remember?!" Anna cringed at the sudden venom in Elsa's voice, though she knew it wasn't directed at her. She tried to choose her next words carefully.  
"Elsa... we already knew about those people, remember? You already did everything you could for-"  
"Not them Anna!" Elsa seemed desperate. "Not the families we went to see back then. There were... _so many _more today. So many more people who _didn't_ forgive me. And why would they?!"

Anna had no answer to that. "Elsa, please. You can't beat yourself up over this."  
"Anna! I _killed _people! _Innocent_ people! This isn't like... destroying a roof or ship! I - _No one_ can fix this! And to think I felt so bad for trying to kill those guards..."  
"It wasn't your fault!" Anna pleaded.  
"They don't believe me and besides: that makes it worse! I can't be trusted anywhere near you - any of you!"

"You're always fine with us." This was Olaf, who had run his fingers along the door as he spoke. Anna couldn't help but bend down and stroke his head. Elsa merely whimpered. Anna stood up, wondering what to say, trying to fight the chill that had been sinking into her bones since her arrival in the corridor. She hugged herself as the feeling intensified, letting the little snowman continue the fight in her stead. Eventually, she let loose a shiver and a gasp.

Elsa honed in on the sound immediately. "Anna! You're cold! What- what did I do?!"  
Anna mentally chastised herself for the slip. "Elsa, it's nothing. Please."  
"No - Anna, see? This is exactly what I'm talking about! I - I froze the hallway, didn't I? That's all it takes! One bad day and - and I'm a danger to you all. Please, just go."

Anna couldn't bear to hear the self hatred in her voice. She bit her lip and thought for a moment, before steeling herself. "No."  
"Anna..."  
"No, Elsa. I'm not leaving this spot without you. Come on, dinner's gonna be ready in a few minutes, right? We can - we can go down a bit early. Get some food and - and we can _talk_. Please."  
"You don't understand Anna. I need to be alone right now. Just... _go_."  
"You don't _need _to be alone Elsa!" Anna stepped forward and placed a hand on the doorknob. "Just open up. Please."

Surprisingly, Elsa did so. She felt the knob turn underneath her fingers as the door opened slightly, enough for Anna to see a sliver of her sister's body. She regretted it immediately. Elsa's icy dress had evaporated, leaving her in rags, exposing her bare arm. Elsa shifted slightly, hiding it from view, so Anna's eyes moved up to her face. Elsa's eyes were red, tear stains coating her cheeks. Her braid had been torn apart, loose hair chaotically cascading over her face.

And Elsa simply looked so _tired_. As if she'd aged decades in the hours they'd been apart. Their eyes met, both pairs pleading with the other. Anna's turned away first as she sighed. "I'll be back Elsa. I promise." She walked away, Olaf reluctantly trailing behind after his own glance at his creator. Anna heard the door shut behind her, followed by the sound of a body sliding to the ground.

* * *

Elsa lost track of time as she sat there, legs pulled up, forehead resting against her knees. The breeze from her window danced along her skin, but instead of feeling refreshed from the sensation, all she could do was picture the faceless men, women and children who had died by her hand, or had lost crops, pets, beasts of burden, vehicles, equipment - she'd done all she could to remedy their pains, but she knew it'd never be enough. She looked up, at the ice coating her room and her furniture. She'd long since given up on thawing it. She was roused from her thoughts by a heavy knock against the door. It wasn't Anna.

"Elsa! Elsa? I know you're still awake." _Kristoff?_  
"What is it? Kristoff, please. Anna already tried, I j-"  
"That's why I'm here."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Sh- Anna's not eating."  
"What?"  
"There's no better way of explaining that Elsa. She won't eat until you do."  
"That's ridiculous! That's - that's just..." _Just like Anna. _Elsa's head crashed back onto her knees.  
"I know, but Elsa - please just come out. What good does sulking do right now?"

Elsa looked up for a moment. Anna would never have said something so abrasive. Then again, Anna wouldn't be capable of listening to what she was about to say next either - at least, not without posing a million questions or arguments along the way.  
"I'm leaving Kristoff."  
"You - you _what?!_ Now?"  
"No, not now. Just as soon as I can be sure I won't... set off another winter when I do."  
"And you're gonna what? Go back to the North Mountain? We'll find you, you know. We'll drag you back if we have to."  
Elsa felt a weak smile cross her face at the thought. "What if I don't go to the North Mountain?"  
Her eyes flickered to the huge open windows but she said nothing. But Kristoff seemed to understand, if the palm he'd slammed into the door was any indication.  
"And that happens to us? Do you think Anna would just... take over for you? Is that it?"  
Elsa swallowed before replying. "Yes. Kristoff... I... I've been planning this for a long time."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. The plan changed a few times over the years, but I always knew I'd have to... leave... someday. That's why I've been so adamant on giving Anna all those 'chores' she hates so much." The redhead's indignant face swam behind her eyelids. "I don't expect you to marry her Kristoff, but I want you to support her when the time comes. She- we _both _trust you, very much so. Can you promise me that?"  
She could hear Kristoff huffing as his hand retreated. "Of course not! I swear- I'll join the night watch if I have to, but I'm not letting you leave Anna again!"  
"But the people-"  
"But nothing! They'll learn that you won't hurt them ever again. Now, I'm being reasonable here, maybe you _should _lie low for a few days, _in the castle_. But - and I'm not even talking about Anna here - _I _couldn't bear to see you go, alright? Now come on. Anna says today's food is your favorite."

Elsa smiled at the notion that there was another person willing to say that to her, though her darker thoughts still lingered. She spoke, a bit louder this time, throat aching from the effort. "Tell Gerda to bring me some soup. I... I really don't have the energy to move. I'm sorry."  
On the other side of the door, Kristoff nodded. "Alright." He turned back as a thought occurred to him. "And Anna would make a terrible Queen."  
Elsa finally giggled. It was quiet and short-lived, but unmistakable. "You'd be surprised Kristoff. A lot of the changes around here came from her." Her tone darkened considerably as she added. "I'll hold you to that Kristoff: a few days."

* * *

The frost still stubbornly clung to her belongings, but Elsa had forced herself to her feet in the interim. A hand pressed to the wall, she was in the process of deciding whether to clear her desk or have her meal in bed when she heard the third knock on her door that night. She walked over on shaky legs to open it, only to be surprised by Anna, balancing a tray in her right hand. "Anna?"  
"Yeah. Did someone order soup?" The younger girl took one glance at her and her room before walking in and placing the tray on the bed, on top of a blanket she'd brought with her, before walking over to her sister, holding her wrists and guiding her over. Elsa let herself be pushed onto the soft mattress and Anna sat beside her, moving the tray to her lap.  
"Anna. Did you eat anything?"  
"Nope. Not hungry." She picked up a spoonful of soup, but Elsa held her hand.  
"Please Anna, go and eat."  
"Well, if I could trust you to not leave this on the floor and forget about it, I would. Now open up!" She wriggled her wrist and Elsa released her grip.  
"At least let me feed myself."  
"Nah!" Elsa beamed briefly at her sister's expression as she opened her mouth, marveling at the delicious taste. When Anna brought the spoon down to the bowl, she closed her hand over the handle, bringing it up to Anna's lips.  
"Elsa. that's for you!"  
"I won't have you starve for my sake. Say '_aah_'!"

They slowly went through the soup together, any notion of conversation having quickly been forgotten. Elsa's movements became mechanical (Open mouth. Swallow. Take spoon. Feed Anna. Return spoon. Repeat.) as her thoughts went back to the things that were said, the things she had done. She was roused from her reverie by the sight of Kristoff silently walking in with a second tray, carrying what was no doubt Anna's lunch, with two pairs of utensils. Anna gave him a thankful gaze, which he returned. His eyes flicked over to Elsa's, who was amazed that they conveyed such emotion to her- not as much as they did when looking at Anna, or course, but enough to make her feel warm inside. She mumbled her own thanks to him as he left. The sisters shared the second meal between them as well.

When it came time to sleep, Elsa let Anna tuck her in, but was surprised when she tossed her own blanket over her and sat down beside her. Elsa pushed herself up on her elbows to protest, before Anna wordlessly pushed her back down with a single hand, which began to pat her with a slow, gentle rhythm. Raphael's face flared in front of her eyes and she shuddered and, still with no words passed between them, Anna pulled her head onto her lap, the hand moving up to stroke her stray hair out of her face. Elsa looked up at a face of pure love before wrapping her arm around her sister's legs.

"Thank you."  
"Don't be silly Elsa. Now sleep."  
"I can't. It's all just... too much. I knew people had died and... I guess all this time I was hiding from that. I can't do that anymore."  
"Elsa. We'll work on it, okay? _Together_. Can you promise me that?"  
"I- I'll try." Anna beamed and tried to bend down, but couldn't do so properly. She squirmed and Elsa giggled at the sight before gently lifting her own head, letting Anna kiss her forehead, before bringing it back down.  
"That's all I ask Elsa. Get some rest, okay?"  
"What about you?"  
"I'll be right here."  
"You should go sleep. I'll be fine."  
"Nope. Today _I'm _gonna be the big sister, and I say _SLEEP_!"  
Elsa chuckled before tucking herself into her sister's side. Her warmth worked wonders against the faceless bodies and accusations swirling through her mind, but it still took a lot of time, and many fits of fidgeting before she could comply with her "big sister's" request. Finally though, the presence of her sister won, and she fell into a much needed sleep, Anna close behind her.


	10. Heal What Has Been Hurt

Elsa had kept her promise to Kristoff. After extricating herself from her sister in the early morning, she had asked Kai to oversee all of her appointments without her and locked herself in her study with her books and letters. The ice lingered outside, though her guards had worked tirelessly overnight and had finally toppled the more imposing structures she had created. Her fingers trembled at the thought of what she'd done.

Fortunately, Anna was on the right side of the door this time. She had immediately woken up alongside Elsa and had stuck to her like wax, following her to breakfast and was currently sitting beside her at her desk, calmly smiling across at her. When Elsa had betrayed her emotions, she'd silently tangled the fingers of her hand with Elsa's and gave them a gentle squeeze, meeting Elsa's gaze with a warm smile. Elsa immediately felt guilty for robbing her sister of her enjoyment. Anna was perfect, but even she couldn't hide the longing glances she'd occasionally thrown at the closed curtains of the room.

"Anna, we've been here for hours. Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air?"  
"I'm good, thanks."

Elsa flipped her hand over and returned Anna's grip.

* * *

Funnily enough, Anna had managed to convince Elsa to do the same soon after, so here she was, wandering the corridors like a ghost, hiding from all her servants as she did during her brief forays as a child. She didn't know what she was doing; she couldn't trust herself to go outside or into the gardens. She couldn't just "relax" or trust herself to speak with anyone, but she persevered for Anna's sake. After all, the poor girl needed to live her own life, not tend to her as if she were a child or a cripple.

"No... I _am _a cripple. I'm utterly useless."

Elsa was roused from her thoughts by the sound of a loud voice. She looked up and noticed she had somehow wandered over to the stairs leading down to the entrance to the courtyard. Servants were busy moving supplies inside and had thus left one of the large doors open, and it was through this door that the voice was emanating from. Apprehensive, yet curious, she crept down the stairwell, forcing smiles and nods at the two ladies carrying ingredients to the kitchens as she hid behind the closed door and peeked outside.

"...nearly lost an arm! And is that the worst? No!" It was Raphael, yelling at the crowd around him, seemingly drawing in more people with every passing word. When she saw the tall old man, Stan, turn in her direction she pulled herself back behind her cover, just noticing her deep breaths. She calmed herself and strained her ears further.

"I lost something as precious!" She heard him say. "Some_one_ I swore to protect, to live alongside through thick and thin." Elsa forced her eyes shut, well aware that her servants had already seen her. "_I lost my wife!_" Raphael was screaming now. "She... she was weak! Ever since she was young! She always struggled with winter, so to have one so intense arrive so quickly? She couldn't take it! She had a daughter!" There was a brief silence and Elsa dared to take another look. The man had taken what appeared to be a portrait from a pouch and was holding it to the crowd. "This _was _my family! _Was_. Penelope still asks me when her mother will be back from her sister's."

Elsa heard the trembles in his voice and saw the shaking of his shoulders before he turned his head slightly and she could see the tears streaming down his cheeks. She looked forward again and saw Gerda reaching out to her. She shrieked and jumped back, bringing her hands up to her chest. Gerda gave her a pained look she couldn't meet, so she simply ran back to her study, hoping against hope that Anna was still there.

* * *

As it turned out, she had never left - she had simply gone to sleep. Elsa bolted the door shut and sat beside her, struggling to control her breathing before resuming her work. Any notion she'd had of not disturbing her sister were dashed after a few minutes as Anna's elbow slipped and her head crashed into the wood. After brushing off Elsa's worries, she attacked with her own at the sight of Elsa's red eyes.

"Anna. Please. It's... nothing."  
"Stop lying Elsa." She looked at her sister's hands and her expression fell. She took a moment before continuing. "You said you'd try and talk to me."  
Elsa sighed, and held her head in her hands. She spoke from behind her fingers, her voice slightly muffled as a result. "I... overheard the... crowd from yesterday."  
"They're still there? Didn't they need to sleep?"  
Elsa shrugged. "They came in when I started work. They've been there since." She brought her head back up looked at her sister. "I don't know what I should do Anna."

She saw Anna chew her lip as her eyes flicked from left to right, deep in thought. "Has this happened before Elsa?"  
Elsa paused before shaking her head. "Not like this, no. But- but they have been sending me letters."  
Before Elsa could ask her to drop the subject, Anna spoke again. "Show me."  
"You shouldn't Anna. Please."  
"Elsa, no. I want to see them." Her expression was too fierce for Elsa to resist. She cringed as she drew herself up, walked to a series of shelves and drew a pile of emblazoned envelopes before walking back and dropping them over her work. "Those are the recent ones."  
"The _recent ones?_ How many did you get?"  
"Many more." She said no more and waited with bated breath as Anna picked up the first letter and began to read.

As soon as she finished, she tossed it to the ground and grabbed a second. Elsa found her breath failing her again as she saw her sister's scowl deepen with every sentence she completed, until she just threw the entire pile onto the floor, her expression demonic. "_Why would you keep them?!_" Elsa had never heard Anna talk like this. Her anger was enough that she instinctively leaned back in her seat. "I- I thought they would be useful. To keep track of what was said."  
"And _why _would you want that? Why don't you just... chase them out?"  
Elsa held her hands up defensively and tried to soothe the redhead down. "I can't Anna. They're not doing anything wrong."  
"Elsa- this... this is- how is this not wrong? They're not even bullying you; this is _worse_!"  
"Anna, please. I deserve it. I deserve more actually; for everything I've done."  
"That's ridiculous Elsa. It's bad enough that they've made you... go back to shutting everyone out and make you put those _stupid _gloves back on." She grabbed Elsa's wrist and held it up between them. Elsa tried to break free but failed. "Anna, please. The gloves help."  
"How?! They're just cloth!"  
"F-father told me they do."  
"He also told you to stop living for 13 years!"

As if on cue, ice erupted from beneath them, shaking their seats and the desk. Papers fell to the floor as Anna grabbed the desk to prevent herself from falling. The sisters looked at each other in shock for a tense moment. Elsa hugged herself, shaking with fear as her ice began to creep along the walls, a thin layer coating all it passed. Anna looked into her face and saw sheer terror. It took a moment to hear quiet words in the midst of Elsa's gasping.

"_The gloves will help_. Th-that's what he said. The gloves are supposed to help..." Elsa scrutinized the fabric, checking for tears or any imperfection that would explain her outburst. She was talking to herself, a manic expression taking over her features.  
"I'm-I'm sorry Elsa."  
"It's not your fault Anna."  
"Should- should I go? Give you some time alone?"  
"... I think that would be best."

* * *

It had been a week since the protests started, and the public opinion of her seemed unsalvageable. At Kai's request, and after an encouraging speech from Anna, she had returned to her throne, ready to listen to the woes and requests of her people, but no once came. Even in the hours without protests in the courtyard, people seemed too scared to approach the "witch". Elsa had made inquiries among her staff and had learned that they seemed to be receiving her audiences instead, so she was content with the thought that her people were still being looked after.

Of course, there were a few men and women who had chosen not to accept her aid. Among them was Soren, which upset her. Despite his clumsy appearance and tendency to pontificate, she had had high hopes for him. Now, he was simply a symbol, in her eyes, of the people who would never be able to trust her again. It reminded her that there was one promise that she had made a while ago - one she had no hope of keeping, but something she could make amends for. Despite the worried glances and pleas she'd received from Kai and Anna, that day she'd discarded her regal attire for a commoner's clothes and adorned a heavy cloak before slipping out of the servants' exit and headed for the outskirts of the town.

* * *

_"Wait, you didn't _sneak out, _did you?"  
"No, no. I let them know. They don't know _where_ I am though." Elsa gave Áno a shy smile. "I just wanted to let you know that... I don't think I can give you that pardon you were hoping for. I'm sorry."  
Áno brushed the apology aside, before tenting his fingers together. He closed his eyes for a moment before speaking. "I know this is probably the worst possible thing I can ask you, but what _exactly _did you do that night?"  
__"I don't understand. I told you: I hurt people. I nearly_ killed-_"_  
_"No! That's not what I meant, sorry! I meant, how did you... how did your powers manifest? Did they come from your hands or did ice just start growing of its own accord?"  
"I started freezing what I touched, but most of it was the latter."  
"What about the first time? Did you, I dunno, point at the sky when you made it snow or froze the fjord?"  
"No to the first question, and the fjord froze as I ran over it." Elsa felt her cheeks flush as the long-buried guilt and shame rose to the surface.  
_Áno closed his eyes again. ___"How many people saw you freeze the fjord?"  
"Two people. Anna and..." Elsa bristled involuntarily. "Just Anna."  
_Áno nodded. Elsa saw his eyes dart behind their lids before he opened them and looked at her. "No plan is perfect, but..."  
_He completed the sentence in a clear voice, full of confidence. "You can blame me if you want."_


	11. Bonds

"What?!"  
"Just give me a few days, two at most. I'll turn myself in and confess to all that stuff."

Elsa stared at Áno, who looked back with a perfectly composed expression. "Why would you say that?"  
"Because I'm used to getting rejected and mobbed and whatnot, and you're not. Besides," he motioned to the room, "a prison would be much nicer than this place."  
Elsa shook her head fiercely. "No! I won't let you!"  
Áno was just as defiant. "Your Majesty, your people need you more than a few merchants need me. Besides, I've been around since before your coronation, remember? People have seen me, even if they don't know my name or anything, so you don't need to worry about that. And on top of that," here he ripped his cap off, tossed it to the ground and flexed his palm. His hand froze over momentarily before the ice shattered (Elsa instinctively blinked when he did so), "it won't be hard to convince anyone, will it?" He ran his fingers through his strikingly blond hair.  
"Áno, think about this for a moment. Please." Elsa leaned forward, hands held together. "You'll be throwing your life away. You'll be imprisoned, and if not, you'll be forced out of the kingdom; and do you think anyone else will accept you?"  
Áno shrugged. "Of course not. That's why I'm so eager to go along with this. Queen Elsa, I don't want you to just let those people ruin your life."  
"As long as they don't harm anyone else, I'm fine."

They fell silent then, trapped in their individual memories. Elsa tugging at her gloves, praying that they wouldn't betray her again. Áno had shelved the parcel before picking up a basket and filling it with something alien to her, although it smelled delicious. Áno opened the back door and roused Elsa from her reverie.  
"Fancy a picnic, Your Majesty?"

* * *

Áno led her to a quiet clearing, a few minutes away from his humble abode, and stopped, giving Elsa time to look around. She did so, noting the tall trees, the scent of leaves and flowers and her eyes finally settled in front of her; it was an amazing, unblocked view of the fjord. The water sparkled as she saw ships, with colorful sails entering and leaving Arendelle's ports. She turned back to Áno, who was waiting expectantly. "This place is amazing." He smiled at her.  
"It certainly is. Very quiet too, which always surprises me; you'd think a lot of families would be eating out here." He rummaged in the basket for a small bag and Elsa frowned, peering over his shoulder at the other contents and seeing nothing edible. She was too late to hide her glance as Áno turned his head. Fortunately, he only chuckled. "Well, I should have warned you that I didn't bring anything for us. Unless..." he put the basket down, walked over to a tree and jumped up, snatching an apple from a branch. He handed it to Elsa. "I hope that's alright." Elsa simply nodded, curious.

Áno walked over to another, larger tree and unwrapped the bag, which Elsa now realized was a bundle of food. He backed up and whistled gently and waited. A few minutes later, she heard some burrowing and was amazed to see a little fox burrow its way out of the tree's giant roots. It walked forward slowly, before stopping at the food and sniffing at it. She saw Áno's face brighten as the cub began to eat and he bent down gently, running a hand over its head and along its back. He looked up at her.

"Queen Elsa, meet Copper. Isn't he just lovely?" The fox seemed to respond and tilted its head, nuzzling the young man's palm.

Elsa couldn't smile. Not after everything she'd done, everything she'd heard or said.

She tried anyway.

* * *

And thus began a strange friendship between the two. Elsa spent most of her time at the castle, with Anna at her side, struggling through her work. The two had made a silent agreement to not discuss Elsa's "accident" and Elsa noticed that Anna no longer frowned at the sight of her gloves, something she wasn't sure how she felt about. The main thing, in her opinion, was that they were together, and she was immensely relieved for the support.

One thing that weighed on her mind however, was that she had isolated Anna from Kristoff and Olaf, who neither sister spoke to outside of meal times as the snowman had taken to accompanying the ice harvester on all his trips; Kristoff himself now went up to the mountains more often, which appeared to be his coping mechanism for the loss of the company of his two friends, though he always made time to ask how Elsa was coping and how he could help.

The protests had died down for the most part, Raphael and his companions now leaving signs around the town, if Kristoff's reconnaissance work was to be trusted. Elsa had a sneaking suspicion as to where they'd gone, but chose not to share it; she couldn't trust Anna to not run off in the dead of night for her sake.

And once or twice every two weeks, when her workload was light and her meetings minimal, she'd let Anna spend time with Kristoff in the stables and met with Áno.

* * *

"I have a question Elsa." Áno looked at her. They were in Copper's Glade, as he affectionately called it, after yet another session of him trying to improve his craftsmanship. Elsa watched from afar, gloves on and never participating herself. She would occasionally give him some advice as he refused to accept that she didn't know _why_ she could form wholesome structures, that she just _did_.

"What is it Áno?"  
"I met Olaf yesterday. I was on the bridge leading up to the castle and saw him, so I thought I'd say hi."  
"Okay?"  
"And, erm, how is he alive?"  
Elsa blinked. She'd asked herself the same question numerous times, but had never found an answer. "I don't know. I just- Olaf is based on a snowman I made with Anna once, as a child. I just made him one night, a spur of the moment thing, I guess, and the next day he just walked into my castle." She forced a chuckle, aware that her description had been vague enough to completely obscure the true sequence of events.  
"Oh." Áno looked down. "Did you make more? I can't imagine he'd be happy, being the only living snowman in existence."  
"I made a second one, actually."  
"Really? Where is that?"  
"He's... much bigger. _Much _bigger. He lives on the North Mountain and we visit him when we can spare a day or two."  
"So, where exactly does he live? Does he spook climbers out?"  
Elsa chuckled at the thought, genuinely this time, at the thought. "No, he- he lives in a castle I built at the peak."  
"You... built a _castle?!_" Áno's eyes went wide with wonder as his hands fell to his sides. "That's amazing! How big is it? Large enough for a giant snowman, but how big?"  
Elsa smiled, unable to resist feeling a bit proud of herself. "It's very simplistic actually, but yes, I'd say it's as tall as Arendelle's castle, more or less."  
Áno mouthed the word "Wow", then composed himself. "I'd like to see that someday. What's the second snowman's name?"  
"Oh, we call him Marshmallow. Olaf named him."  
"So, he's the older brother?" Elsa blushed at the analogy and said nothing. Áno continued in a wistful tone. "I wish _I_ could create life."  
Elsa frowned. "You can't?"

Áno simply raised his hands and let magic flow from them. It began swirling around over a ring of grass before it began to build up. First, two pointed feet, that grew into two legs, joining at a waist that expanded into a torso. Two arms sprouted from its sides, followed by a head. Elsa watched in awe as the gentle flurry surrounding the being coated its surface, forming a breastplate, gauntlets, a helmet... a _sword_?

When the snow had fully vanished Elsa was staring at a perfectly formed soldier, as beautiful as her castle. "Áno," she breathed, "this is amazing! What's his name?"  
He gave her a sad smile. "_It_ doesn't have one. It doesn't do anything unless you tell it to: it doesn't talk, doesn't listen to idle conversation, won't save you unless you tell it to..." He shrugged. "And the only reason it doesn't look as horrendous as my usual _works of art_ is because I've spent years practicing and sketching this thing." As if to prove his point, he waved his hand again. A second flurry emerged from it, swirling around to form a stunted, spiky rock with 6 misshapen tendrils reaching out. "A companion for Copper." He explained.

Before Elsa could encourage him further, he sighed and waved his hand again. Both the soldier and fox unceremoniously exploded and he returned to failing to conjure a perfect sphere.

* * *

Áno always asked her whether she'd told Anna of his existence and she would always dodge the question. She was running out of excuses and she knew Áno was suspicious, though he was too polite to confront her over it. It certainly didn't help that the excuses were weak at best and pathetic at their worst. The problem, Elsa knew, was that she was ashamed of her childhood. If she told Anna and Áno about each other, they would demand that she introduce them (or, Anna would, while Áno would voice his approval of the idea). She eventually decided enough was enough and told Anna. She hadn't expected her to be quite so... jubilant though.

"Another person with your powers?" Asked Anna after her initial, deafening squeal.  
Elsa took her fingers from her ears and winced as she tested them. "Yes, that's what I _just said._ What, three times now?"  
Anna waved the complaint away, "Forget that. Elsa, wow! Isn't this just incredible! How long have you known him?"  
"We haven't really spent that much time together, but I'd say about a month?"  
"And would you say you know him quite well?"  
"Well, you can't spend time with someone without getting to know them, so yes?"

Anna literally jumped a few inches off the ground when she heard that. "Okay, then what's his last name?"  
"That's an odd question, but erm, he goes by the name Foreldreløs."  
Anna wrinkled her nose. "That's convenient."  
"It's not his real name."  
"You know what it is?"  
"Yes. I'll let him tell you himself."

"Fair enough. Next question! What's his favorite food?"  
"He told me he had very _simple_ tastes, but apples."

"Alright. What's his best friend's name?"  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
"It's a test!"  
"What for?!"  
"Just tell me!"  
Elsa sighed, smiling despite herself. "Henrik. Or Copper, his pet fox, take your pick."  
"A pet fox?! Is it cute?"  
Elsa chuckled. "Very much so."

"Back to business. What's his eye color?"  
By now, Elsa had resigned herself to her sister's game. "Brown. Next?"

"And what's his foot size?"  
"Large."  
"What makes you say that?"

"He tripped over himself when we first met, so-" Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Wait. What are you getting at?"  
Anna blushed. "Just testing to see how well you know him. Now, do you like the way he picks his nose?"  
Elsa gagged at the thought and Anna rushed to make up for her slip.

"What about the way he eats? Do you have any problems with that?"  
When Elsa failed to answer, Anna decided she'd pushed her luck far enough.


	12. How I met your sister

Anna had been all too accepting of the fact that Elsa had been unable to tell Áno of their childhood. _Just like she always is,_ Elsa had thought to herself. When it came time to introduce her to the man, she had had her hands full persuading Anna that he didn't need any extravagant gifts, or that the pair didn't need to dress in their most elegant attire. At least she hadn't complained when she insisted on sneaking out of the castle, as had become her habit - her sister was fond of anything out of the ordinary, even leaving her home through a different door.

She had remained her usual bubbly self when Elsa knocked on Áno's door. When she burst inside and shook his hand vigorously, Elsa couldn't help but feel sorry for him, despite fighting the urge to laugh at the bewildered expression affixed to his face. Anna hadn't wasted any time in being her own _awkward_ self either.

"So, Áno, can I ask you something?"

"Uh, of course. Ask away Princess -"

"Just Anna is fine. Don't tell me you call Elsa _Queen_ when it's just the two of you!"

"Um... no?" He smiled sheepishly. Anna gave an impromptu squeal of delight as she dragged her chair directly in front of his, complete with an ear-splitting creak, before leaning forward.

"Elsa? Leave the room."

"What?!"

"Don't argue. Just do it!"

Anna hadn't even bothered to look at her when she made the request, still invading Áno's privacy. Elsa couldn't help but feel sorry for whatever interrogation he was about to endure. He himself seemed terrified, unable to shake the Princess' face as his hand blindly reached out to his side, fumbling before seizing a bag and holding it in the air. Elsa thought she would be surprised to see a bead of sweat escape his brow, but found that she wasn't.

"If you wouldn't mind feeding Copper Elsa? That - that would be great."

* * *

Elsa had had a peaceful few minutes with the young cub once she'd convinced herself that Anna would not drive Áno to insanity. Her patience was rewarded with the sound of heavy footsteps and she turned to see both her sister and unlikely friend walking across the grass towards her, surprise failing to reach her yet again when she saw her furious and him utterly confused. A small part of her wondered who she should be feeling sorry for before her sister locked eyes with her, then beaming and running in her direction.

...Or towards something directly behind her.

Elsa turned as Anna shot past her towards a large tree before clutching the trunk and trying to lift a foot onto it. Elsa sighed, pinching her nose before calling out to her. "Anna, what are you doing?"

"Climbing this tree!"

"I can see that." Elsa walked towards her. Anna had managed to lift herself into a small crevice, where the tree's trunk split in two. Fortunately, despite her efforts Anna had gained very little altitude. If she fell, she may feel sore, but wouldn't break anything. "Why are you doing this?"

"Áno promised to teach me!"

Elsa whipped around as he approached, scratching his head with a bemused smile. "I - err, it slipped, I guess. I'm not quite sure how. Sorry."

Elsa was about to tell him not to worry about failing to maintain his composure in Anna's presence, but the redhead spoke first. Or rather yelled. "He was bragging about it Elsa!"

"I've never bragged in my _life_!"

* * *

Anna made a few more efforts and even managed to reach a low, yet sturdy branch (with Áno's help, of course) before she chose to "rest", claiming she was content simply being above her sister and new friend. She had then begun pelting Áno with questions about his powers, what he could and couldn't do and about his past. Elsa noticed the brutal honesty he used for some answers and perfect deflections he used for others.

_Wait, then what were they talking about before?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Áno turned to her. "Enough about me Elsa, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, how have you been with... you know."

"Oh." She brought her hands together, threading the fingers of one hand through those of the other. She'd been expecting the question. Áno was always asking it and she always replied with... "The usual. Every day I'm getting reports of vandalism or hearing people jeering at me. I wasn't expecting it to die down any time soon, so I can cope."

Áno crossed his arms and sunk his head, resting his chin on his sternum, thinking. Anna pivoted from her branch, adopting a "side saddle" position as opposed to her original horse riding pose. "I know you showed me some letters before Elsa," she began softly, "but... is there anything else to this besides mail and people yelling in the courtyard?"

Elsa looked at her for a moment before replying. "If I told you, I'd have to lock you in at night and assign guards to you during the day."

"What? Why?!"

"Because you'll charge off and hurt yourself."

"Then you've been hiding something _important_, haven't you?" She promptly slid off the branch. Elsa yelped and ran for her but Áno got there first, hands catching her foot as her hand grabbed his scalp. She landed and quickly thanked him before advancing on her sister. Behind her shoulder, Elsa could see Áno clutching his hand, breathing warm air over his palm as he whimpered loudly ("_Heels! _She was wearing _heels!_"). Anna didn't notice, choosing to poke a finger into Elsa's collarbone. "Talk. Now."

"Only if you promise to not do anything."

"...Fine."

Elsa sighed before looking away for a moment as she collected her thoughts. When she faced Anna again, she saw that Áno had also recovered and was listening closely, although he was still rubbing circles into his palm with his right thumb. She took a deep breath.

"There's nothing much to say, to be honest - _Anna_, I'm being serious, don't give me that look. I've been getting those letters for a long time. I think the first came fairly soon after the, uh... well the people have taken to calling it the _Great Thaw_. Even then, I'm not fully sure. I only _read _one much later."

"Why?"

"Because Kai was intercepting them at first. One day the postman arrived while I was in the room, so the maid had no choice but to pass them directly to me. I guess I was lucky that day, because the author referred to my not responding to his earlier messages '_out of cowardice_'. It wasn't too hard to figure out where those letters had gone."

Anna pondered for a moment. Now that she thought about it, there _had _been that sudden argument between the Royal Handler and her sister a while ago. Neither had been willing to discuss it and had resumed their typical working relationship soon after. Thinking further, she realized with a jolt that that was about the same time Elsa begun receiving her mail directly from the woman who collected it. It was also the time she began her strange custom of reading letters in private - not even in front of her advisers.

"So... you must have known they would start protesting then, right? You told me Raphael and that bunch were the ones sending the letters."

"No. I only learned that the morning before the first rally." She licked her lips before continuing, all too aware that her audience was hanging onto her every word.

"The letters all had a unique seal. Anna's seen it Áno, but I think I may have described it to you too. A flaming sun?" Áno nodded and she continued. "Olaf and I met Raphael and his daughter during my break. He must have been scoping out the grounds, or getting information from the little guy I guess. Anyway, he spoke to me briefly before he left, and he..." she turned up an imaginary collar over her neck "he had the same symbol. I couldn't see if it was a badge or if it was sewn on, but it was there, on his collar."

"A flaming sun?"

"Yes. I believe another kingdom uses a similar insignia, but I can't remember the name right now."

Áno sunk his head again and Anna spoke up. "So, letters and shouting. What else have they been doing?"

Elsa thought for a moment. She'd already told her so much...

"Anna, before the protests began, would you say attendance at my skating sessions was stable, or good?" Anna bit her lip before shaking her head. "Because there were speeches in the taverns - still are, in fact - where Raphael and Carsten and the rest have been recruiting dissenters. I'm sorry to say most of the people who usually chose to skate went there instead. That was something they _did_ mention in the letters. They seemed quite proud of themselves."

"And you never thought to sneak in and see what they were doing?"

Elsa observed her sister, leaning forward slightly with her hands on her hips, pouting. The thought _had_ occurred to her, many times. It had been Kai, sometimes Gerda, who had talked her into seeing sense when they found her dressed in cloaks or the clothing of commoners, telling her she knew she wouldn't like what was being said, so why bother putting herself under duress? Why put herself at risk from them?

_Or them from me._

She shook her head slightly. "Anna, I told you this because I owed you an explanation and because I trust you to not do something rash. Please?"

"I'm not happy, you know."

"I know." They smiled sadly at one another, completely caught off guard when Áno finally spoke.

"Does the group have any distinct leaders?"

"Yes. Three."

"And is any one of them louder than the rest?"

Elsa's eyes narrowed as her mind raced, looking at the man still shaking his hand, a red rectangular imprint still present on his palm. "...Yes. Áno, what are you - ?"

"Just freeze him." It took him a few seconds to realize neither sister had responded. He looked up to see both staring at him, wide eyed and open mouthed. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with _you?!_" Anna took a step forward as she spoke. "Why on earth would she do that?!"

"Wait, hold on - I didn't mean _freeze him completely_, I just meant freeze his foot or something! It won't be permanent or anything, will it?"

"I'm not hurting anyone Áno."

"It won't hurt him badly. I just thought you could try shutting them up for a bit. You know, get some room to breathe?" Elsa said nothing, opting to simply glare at him. "Elsa please, you can't expect everyone to be as patient or accepting as you two. Trust me..."

* * *

The conversation only deteriorated from there. Elsa knew it was all down to a misunderstanding, but she couldn't think logically and listening to Anna yell at a defiant Áno was too much for her to handle and it wasn't long before she pulled her sister away. It was only when they reached the main streets of Arendelle that Anna sighed.

"That didn't go well, did it?"

"No, it didn't."

"But still, he went way outta line."

"Perhaps." Elsa brushed a loose strand of hair from in front of her eyes. "But he meant well."

"I guess." There was a long pause. Elsa admired a mother handing sandwiches to her daughter before Anna brought her back to attention. "I was a bit out of order as well, wasn't I?"

Elsa said nothing, but when Anna glared at her she acquiesced with a nod. Anna groaned, pinching her nose. "He seemed like a nice guy too. He needs a lot of work though."

There was something in the way she said it that caught Elsa's attention. "You're not still talking about the argument, are you?"

The pout was back on Anna's face when she looked up at her. "Nope. I still don't like him though."

"Why not?"

"_Because he doesn't know a thing about you!_"

Her sister couldn't help but chuckle. "What do you mean by that?"

"For starters, he thinks your surname is '_Of Arendelle_'!"

"Arguably, it _is_."

"Oh. Well he told me he didn't know what your favorite food was, and when I told him it was chocolate, he said snacks don't count!"

"But they don't, do they? I told him so myself."

"Really? Oh, well, uh - "

There was a brief pause. Anna finally opened her mouth but Elsa beat her to resuming the discussion.

"How about you tell me what he _does _know about me?"

"Sure! He knows you have blue eyes, but that doesn't really count, does it? You know, because of the ice and stuff? Anyway, he likes the way you eat - "

"What?"

" - and he doesn't _think_ you pick your nose - "

"_Anna!_"

" - and he knows you have small feet." Anna looked down at them while their owner recovered.

"So... what did he get wrong? My best friend's name?"

"Yeah! He said it was _me! _I mean, how crazy is that, right? It's obviously Kristoff or Olaf or Kai or something."

"Anna?"

"Yeah?"

"He was right."

"What - _oh_."

She blushed and they settled into silence for a few moments as they climbed a few steps separating them from a new street. The castle was in sight.

"We should apologize to him, shouldn't we Elsa?"

"We should."

Anna took a few steps further before she realized Elsa was no longer at her side. She turned to see her sister standing still.

"Elsa? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just, go on without me."

"Why?"

"Go to the castle and cover for me if you can." She began to walk backwards.

"Where are you going?" Elsa turned and began to pick up her pace, turning her head as she replied.

"I have an apology to make! I'll be back soon!"

* * *

"Soon" turned out to be upwards of an hour later. Anna had begun to panic when she heard the protests begin anew and was contemplating forming a one-man (or girl) search party when she saw Elsa walk in slowly from the kitchens, cheeks slightly flushed as she attempted to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress.

"Elsa! What took you so long?" She ran to her. "What did he say? Was he, you know, satisfied?"

Elsa blushed even more brightly. "I should hope so."

"Should I go and see him next?"

Her sister inexplicably spluttered. "What?! _No! _I mean - he was happy with just me, thank you for asking."

Satisfied with the state of her torso, Elsa ran her hands down her thighs before shaking the remaining wrinkles from her skirt while Anna sniffed the air.

"What's that smell? And why are you waddling? Were you crawling around somewhere?"

"Something like that."

They could hear the angry sounds of the townsfolk now. Elsa gently pushed her sister away, thanking her, but letting her know she was perfectly capable of standing by herself. "Elsa, you don't have to sneak through the gardens or something to get away from them you know. But, what flowers did you go through? I've never smelt them before..." She took another whiff. Elsa looked at the guard who had been watching this exchange with a slack jaw before his Queen's eyes meeting his jerked him into action.

"Your Majesty?"

"Yes?"

"I believe you were interested in the whereabouts of Soren Magnar?"

She frowned. That was true, but only out of curiosity. She had explicitly stated this to Kai but she supposed he had arranged a manhunt for the silkweaver regardless. She decided to respond in the positive, for his sake.

"Indeed I am. Do you know where he is?"

"Yes Queen Elsa. A fisherman brought him in from the fjord a few hours ago. Princess Anna asked me to wait for you to arrive."

Realization dawned on her with a jolt but Elsa was still glad for Anna asking the question. "What do you mean, '_brought him in from the fjord_'?"

"That's where they found him, Your Highness." He took a deep breath.

"The man's dead."


	13. Reprieve

Anna's mouth flew open and her hands immediately rose to cover it. Elsa managed to maintain her composure with better results, but failed to completely mask her horror. "Tell me everything."

The guard grimaced. "Forgive me Your Majesty, but are you sure?"

"Yes! Please, what happened?"

He shrugged. "There's not much to say really. The fisherman tells us he went out to sea as per usual and his son saw something floating on the water. Poor lad must have thought it was a big fish or something. The man rows over, pulls the body onboard, then panics before sailing back to hand him over to the authorities. I feel sorry for the boy though. He seemed quite young - poor kid is probably scarred for life."

Elsa imagined what it would be like to be a child and seeing her father roll a large, soaking wet bundle of clothing over, only to see a pale face staring back at her. Or would they be closed?

"Do you know what happened? Or when?" _What did he look like?_

Again, the man winced at her need for information. "I'm not a thinking man Queen Elsa, you need to speak to my superiors - forgive me for saying so!" When Elsa brushed his fears aside he sighed with relief before continuing. "He was in pain and he definitely died of drowning given his expression when he was brought ashore and from the state of his fingers - the man's nails were a mess. And..."

"Yes?"

"After that it's just conjecture my Queen. Our physician told me he suspects the man was thrown into the sea and weighed down on account of his lips changing colour and... other symptoms he says signify being cold."

"And he was alive when this happened to him, wasn't he?" Elsa cringed as her imagination created a vision of the rotund man, with an anchor tied to his ankle and being kicked off of a ship by a faceless maniac. She turned to see Anna looking back at her, her freckles in stark contrast with her blanched skin.

"I'm afraid so. If it's any consolation, he must have been unable to undo whatever knot the killer used, else he'd still be down there."

"Do you know when it must have happened? Roughly, at least?"

"A long time ago Your Majesty. Uh..." he scratched the back of his neck before jerking a thumb towards the noise from outside, "about when _that_ started apparently. I wish I had a better indicator. I'm sorry."

Elsa pinched her nose. "I don't hold it against you. He asked for funding for his business and now I know why he didn't come for it. Let his family know they can collect it in his stead. Who did he leave behind?"

"A wife and three children." The words were another blow to her gut.

"Then tell them... tell them I'm sorry for their loss. And also tell them I'm sorry for doubting him. I thought he had joined the protestors, but I guess I forgot that the world doesn't revolve around me and my personal woes." She sighed, turning to meet Anna's sad gaze before looking back. "You're dismissed."

* * *

_Tap tap._

Elsa wasn't sure how many knocks she'd heard in her sleep before she awoke. She pulled herself up, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she stared at the door. Anna?

_Tap tap._

But the knocks weren't coming from the door... where then?

It took her a few moments to notice the shadow falling over her. She looked to her window and gasped at the shadow looking through it, pulling her quilt up to her neck. Áno chuckled, his tone quiet and gentle.

"Is that really necessary?"

"What are you doing here?" He was seemingly afloat, hovering on the other side of the glass, his face obscured by the pale moonlight shining down on him from behind. "How did you get up here?"

She couldn't see his expression, but saw a ripple pass through the outline of his cheeks which hinted at a smile. He tapped his foot on something beneath him and she heard soft thuds. "You're a good teacher."

Elsa got to her feet, still wrapped in her sheets and took a few steps towards the sill. Bit by bit, a platform of ice revealed itself to her, rough around the edges but elegant all the same. She smiled at its creator. "How did you get past the guards?"

"They're not very good at their jobs." She heard another chuckle. She would have to investigate her employees in the morning. But there were more pressing issues to be dealt with.

"You haven't told me what you're doing here - _and what if someone sees you__?!_"

"I'll be fine. I just wanted to tell you you won't be having any trouble from now on."

"What do you mean?"

"The - Raphael and the others? They're a bitter memory now."

All of a sudden their last conversation with Anna sprang to her mind. "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing. Just trust me, you'll be fine. At least until the next dissenters come by." He took a step back. Elsa saw something strange on his face robbed of colour by the moon's interplay of light and shadow - it was as if even the grays of his visage were mismatched, or just _wrong_...

"Are you alright?"

"Me? I'm wonderful. I should be going now Elsa. I'm sorry about what happened this evening."

"Don't be, please. It just... _happened_."

"If you say so." Áno looked away for a moment. "I enjoyed it. I mean, I always enjoy our time together."

"Me too."

She could see the features of his face now, though the colours were still off. Before she could begin to properly distinguish between the dark material of his cap and his dark skin he smiled weakly at her before falling off the side of his platform. She gasped, rushing forward and pressed herself to the glass before sighing with relief at the faint, yet distinct, sound of a body sliding against ice. She waited a few moments before the structure shattered. Elsa jumped at the sound before shrugging her shoulders and returning to bed. She trusted Áno and Anna (as she had personally put her to sleep that night) to not have done anything rash. A new thought rose in her mind, but she brushed it aside. She could deal with whatever happened in the morning.

* * *

The first thing Elsa did that morning after getting dressed and having breakfast with Anna was to walk out into the courtyard. She was surprised by what she found there.

Silence.

And emptiness.

There would normally be discarded signs or a few dissenters lingering in the early hours of the day; not enough for a large protest, but enough to make her feel unwelcome nonetheless. Panic suddenly consumed her. What if she was wrong? What if Áno _had_ attacked them? And she'd just _gone to sleep_ after he spoke with her! What had she been thinking? She whirled around before her eyes alighted on a guard, whistling a tune to himself. She marched over to him, who noticed her presence halfway through her trek and stood to attention.

"Good morning sir. Can you tell me where everyone has gone?" She knew she was speaking with surprising nonchalance, ill fitting the fear and anger she should be feeling. She didn't even know why she said '_everyone_'. Was she simply too jaded to care anymore?

"Good morning Queen Elsa. If you're referring to the rabble, the ringleaders were arrested last night."

"_I gave the guards explicit instructions to not do that!_"

Privately, she respected the man for maintaining his composure. "Only if they weren't to harm anyone, ma'am. They assaulted a civilian."

"What?"

"A young man, or so I'm told. Apparently he tried to speak up for you. He clearly said a bit more than was healthy..." he shrugged, before his eyes widened, "no res- I mean - _dis_respect to you of course, Your Majesty!

Elsa ignored his slip-up. "Thank you for informing me. I assume the Captain will have some words for me when the working day begins." She bid the man farewell and returned to the castle, worrying her lower lip.

_And to think I doubted him..._

* * *

"You think that was Áno?"

"Yes."

Anna had sat through the Captain's debriefing to Elsa after he'd burst into their breakfast hall. As soon as he'd left the Queen had pulled her into an empty room and explained her theory, though not before recounting Áno's night time visit.

("What's so funny?" She'd asked.

Anna had fought to keep the giggles at bay. "Er... Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Keep going!")

Elsa argued that Áno must have decided to force the guards' hands, and subsequently her own, by intentionally aggravating the mob enough that they'd attack him. Seeing the men descend beyond verbal attacks against their Queen, her guards would have had no choice but to apprehend the main offenders. Without the '_more talkative ones_', as Áno described them, the followers would have had no choice but to go home. With a few days of peace, as Anna had excitedly told her, she could begin to regain the town's trust.

"I may have a lot longer than just _a few days_ Anna."

"How so?"

"I thought you were listening when the Captain was talking?"

"I was! Just... not all the time."

Elsa sighed. "Raphael and Carsten aren't from Arendelle. Deportation isn't normally the first punishment you get for petty thug behavior like this - Áno is alive, after all."

"But?"

Elsa spat the words out slowly, disgusted by them. "It was night. They weren't of sound mind and apparently the 'victim' exaggerated his injuries when the constabulary interviewed him. At least, that's what the Captain said. Apparently no-one is going to dispute his claims."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I could in turn _overstate_ their crimes and remove them from the state and be legally justified in doing so."

"And you haven't already done that because..."

"Because, and I mean no disrespect to Áno when I say this, that's the coward's way out. Believe me, I want my peace and quiet. I _want_ to... to go outside and live life and be loved like you are, but if I have to..." She trailed off.

"Well, I wouldn't think twice about shipping them off somewhere after everything they said about you. And they were the main two right? Even bigger than the third guy? Get rid of them and wouldn't that just stop everything?"

"By showing the world that they're worse than me for intentionally hurting someone, yes." Politics. That was all there was to it. Making the right decisions, though only from certain points of view. "I... I need to think it through Anna. I need to fix my reputation in the interim, thank Áno and I still need to ensure Soren's family gets his money."_  
_

The thought struck her like a lightning bolt.

"And I need to contact Weselton."

"What?"

"It's probably nothing..."

_...but I may know who killed him._

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I would just like to make an appeal to the user who unfollowed my story after Chapter 12. If you could get in touch via review or PM, I would greatly appreciate it and would be able to either better myself and my story or address your concerns. I hope you can indulge me in this. Back to the story.**


	14. Contemplation

Elsa dispatched her letter, hoping the Duke would put aside his personal agenda against her and reply, while also hoping she was wrong. Soren's family received its due and she took the opportunity to scour through the details of her subjects with a finer eye, identifying any inconsistencies in taxation or public appearances that could originate from her actions. She also interrogated Kai and her staff, begging them to tell her of anyone they may know of who would feel wronged by her, telling them she would cope with whatever hatred rained down on her. With no protests she was able to concentrate far better that morning, and kept a firmer grip on her powers. The tension was still there, throbbing in the back of her skull so she still wore her gloves, much to Anna's chagrin. However she finally had a few moments of peace, where she could just close her eyes and breathe without being overwhelmed by the stench of fear and anger.

* * *

Once the initial panic and slight frustration at his actions faded, Elsa and Anna went to see Áno. Neither sister knew what they were going to say to him, or possibly offer as thanks, but they wanted to fulfill their obligation to the man who had done so much. The hut stood in its secluded corner as it always did. Elsa glanced at Anna and received an encouraging smile before she stepped forward and knocked.

Áno opened the door with a faint smile, which only widened when the sisters gasped. A large scar ran across his left cheekbone. His right eye was only half open. Red patches of sore skin littered his face. Elsa couldn't help but notice the odd angle at which he held his arm and wondered how she could have missed it during his visit that morning. Neither of them said anything as he sat them down and handed them mugs of water out of respect. Anna was clearly struggling to hold her tongue, but Elsa took the opportunity to gaze around the small room. She looked at the simple ornaments, the unsteady furniture, the empty shelves, the steadily filling bags...

Then Áno winced and Anna seized the opportunity. "What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?"

Áno frowned briefly, before returning to his gentle smile. "A little, yes."

"And when did this happen?"

"Late last night." His smile slipped again, his eyes flitting between the Princess and Queen.

"And what were you doing to get hurt so badly?"_  
_

"I... ran into a rough crowd." He looked questioningly at Elsa, who finally sighed, silencing Anna with a raised hand.

"We know what you did Áno."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence, which he broke after a few seconds.

"You don't have to thank me you know."

"But... you were _attacked_!" Elsa was on her feet now. "Why would you do that?!"

"Because they wouldn't have stopped otherwise and I couldn't let them continue to hurt you."

Elsa opened and closed her mouth like a fish, unable to form words. Anna came to her rescue.

"But why would you do that for her?"

Áno pivoted on the spot and looked down at her. "It's the right thing to do, isn't it?"

"And no other reason?"

"I don't understand..." Áno cocked his head. "What other reason would I possibly need?"

"Oh, I dunno..." She shrugged before a mischievous smile formed on her lips. "Maaaybe..."

She dragged the word out slowly and Elsa chose her moment to interrupt, unwilling to hear the question. "You're leaving."

"What?" Anna looked around, only just noticing what Elsa had minutes prior; Áno was packing his belongings into two large sacks. He had winced after depositing a fairly large bundle of clothing into one. "Wait, you aren't leaving because I yelled at you are you? That was a total accident! I'm sorry! Didn't Elsa tell you?" She glanced at her sister, but received no response.

"No, that's not why. And you don't need to apologize. I shouldn't have said what I said that day." He sighed. "I thought I told you Elsa, I was never going to stay here for too long." He turned back to Anna. "And it's not your fault Anna. It's just a case of strange timing." He smiled sadly.

"When are you leaving?"

"Within a week. Maybe two, if the need arises."

Elsa walked closer to the two of them, her voice soft. "Will you let us know before you leave?"

Áno turned to face her, his smile warm. "Of course I will."

He held out his hand. Elsa immediately found herself back in her study on the day they met. He'd made the same offer then, but she'd been too afraid to indulge him. How much had she changed since then? The seconds trickled by like hours and she became acutely aware of her delayed reactions. She looked up guiltily but saw two faces looking at her with such strong faith... She was grateful to them for always believing in her. Surely a handshake was a small price to pay? Besides, she was still wearing her gloves after all.

Her hand reached out. The process must have taken only moments, but to her time was still moving through a quagmire. When her hand met his it the sensation almost felt alien to her, unused to human contact beyond the kind embrace of her sister. She looked up at Anna, who returned her gaze with one of utmost pride and couldn't help but return her grin to the both of them.

* * *

She thought back to that moment as she stood inside her castle, staring through a window. She wasn't in her study, so her field of view was restricted, but she could see what she wanted to see.

A small line of men being marched through the docks and towards a ship, their hands tied and their heads hung low in disgrace.

She had taken many days to think her decision over. Anna and Kai had berated her, in their own soft ways, for the time she was wasting and the "undeserved" sympathy she was showing. She had told herself, over and over, that she was strong, that she would remove her own feelings from the matter and treat the men fairly. But she supposed Anna and Kai knew better, though they'd hidden it well. She wasn't surprised. She didn't know anything about herself after all, did she? Nothing but a growing list of faults she could never hope to remedy. For how could she have told considered herself impartial if she'd never even entered the dungeons and spoken with the men in person?

In the end, she wondered whether she was the only one surprised she'd taken the "coward's way out".

She shook her head for the umpteenth time that day, willing her mind back to the present. Then men were little more than stick figures in the distance, though she could make out enough of their features to distinguish them as they were slowly relocated to their moving prison. Carsten was among the first. She saw him tugging against the bonds that restrained him, wincing as she saw him fall by the hand of one of her guards before another dragged him out of sight. She found herself torn between wanting to watch the last vestiges of her torment taken out of her life and returning to her slowly healing life, her responsibilities and sister.

In the end she remained rooted to the spot, unable to leave as the group steadily dwindled. At last it was Raphael's turn. As he was lead up to the vessel, she saw his head turn towards the castle. Even as he walked backwards, ignoring the scolding of the men in Arendelle's green, his eyes scanned the walls until they alighted on a window.

Hers.

It took her a few moments to overcome her reflexive panic and realize there was nothing suspicious about his behavior. After all, she was currently standing on the same floor as her study and looking out of one of the few windows facing the port, was she not? In fact, she noticed now that Raphael was in fact looking at a window slightly to her left, although she also saw his expression.

One of victory.

She shuddered as he too was led onto the ship and out of her gaze and wrenched herself away from her silent torture, vowing that she would ensure that his daughter, as well as all the relatives those men had left behind, would be cared for just as well as her other subjects or reunited with their deported parents and siblings as soon as she could possibly arrange it.

* * *

She hadn't forgotten Áno of course. She had requested that her morning meetings be delayed in order to let him know that his deed was not in vain. He merely smiled, bags already packed and waiting to be moved. Elsa asked him if there was any way to convince him to stay and he politely apologized a second time.

The day proceeded as normal afterwards. Her advisors were instrumental in helping her fulfill all of her obligations to her people, as well as the families and friendships she had torn apart. Only a few subjects arrived to seek her aid, but she knew that the number would soon increase and welcomed the coming change. In fact, the only peculiar event came in the evening. Anna had unfortunately interrupted one of her private discussions with a guild master and was standing in front of Elsa's throne, letting her sister gently "berate" her to the best of her ability when Kai walked in, two letters in hand. Elsa's eyes narrowed slightly before she composed herself. However, Kai spoke before she could.

"Your Majesty, I have here a reply from the Duke of Weselton regarding your recent enquiry."

"And?"

"He asks that you reconsider your refusal to trade with him-"

"_Unbelievable!_" She fell back against her throne with a thud before pulling herself back upright, her cheeks flushed. "The man cares of nothing but filling his pockets with as much dirty gold as possible!"

Kai smiled gently before continuing "-but would like to let you know that he would never let his personal or financial agendas get in the way of the welfare of his people." He held up the second letter between two fingers before passing it to her. "He hopes this tells you everything you need to know."

Anna watched as Elsa's eyes skimmed over the parchment multiple times, her right hand gripping the arm of her throne with greater and greater intensity. Her eyes turned red, as did her face, before she gasped for breath, dropping the sheet to her lap. She looked up, wild for a brief moment before she returned to reality. She looked at Kai, then turned to the Princess.

"I need to talk to you. Alone. Now."

* * *

Anna had been stunned into silence and remained mute as Elsa lead her from the wide room into a corridor. The letter was still clutched in a rigid grip when she entered a hallway, looked down it to ensure their privacy, then slumped against the wall. Her fingers trembled. Anna wordlessly motioned to the parchment and received it, Elsa's hand was weak and she immediately turned away. Anna opened the paper and began to read.

"To the illustrious Queen of Arendelle, blah blah blah, here is the information you requested... I don't get it; this is just a bunch of names and dates and - hey! Henrik Bjorgman! That's funny in a way... and that's it. What's the deal?"

"There's another column." Elsa's voice was dead, but she managed to face the redhead for a moment. "On the right, you haven't unfolded it." She nodded when Anna found it and returned to her blank state.

"That's a really neat fold I must say but okay... _Circumstances_? Er, let's see... _washed up ashore_, _washed up ashore, dug out of an avalanche... _Elsa, are these people _dead_?!"

Elsa nodded again.

"And... and these dates - they're when... you know, when they - they died?"

Another nod.

"I don't get it, why would you ask for this? The silk guy?"

A fourth nod, though this time Elsa straightened up and looked her in the eye.

"So..." she held the list up "what does this mean?"

"It means..." the blonde took a deep breath, "it means Soren isn't the first person Áno's killed."


	15. Confrontation

There was silence as Anna took the information in. "What?"

"It all fits Anna!" Elsa looked at her, the pain evident in her eyes. "All of these deaths either happened in winter or somewhere the victims wound up cold. Remember how Soren was cold when he died? That was Áno's doing!"

"And what do you plan on doing now?"

Elsa pushed off of the wall, but kept her head down nonetheless.

"I need to talk to him. I can help him."

"What do you mean _help him_?"

"These were all accidents Anna. They have to be."

"Are you kidding me?" Anna held the sheet out in front of her sister and ran her finger down the list. "All of these people died over the span of _years_ Elsa! If it was - like here, three people died over the span of two days. That may have been an accident; maybe he set off an eternal winter -"

"Like me?" Elsa raised an eyebrow and gave the redhead a sad smile.

"- yes. But you only did it once! How many winters do you think he could have _accidentally_ set off? He meant it Elsa!"

"Do you think _I_ meant it?" Anna saw an emotion flicker behind Elsa's eyes as she pointed to herself. Anger? "Do you know how many times I came close to doing something like that before the coronation? He didn't have anyone to protect him Anna!"

Anna took a second to compose herself and to let Elsa do the same before continuing.

"Fine, but he seemed in control when you met him wasn't he? Then what happened to Soren?"

"Áno lacks precision Anna, remember, maybe that's what happened."

Anna scoffed. "But Soren _drowned_! He wasn't - I dunno - hit by an exploding snowball! And that doesn't mean anything. How could he keep having accidents over so many years? This is, like, over half his life! Answer me that Elsa!"

"_I almost killed you twice over thirteen years!_"

Silence filled the corridor again as both sisters looked down, ashamed of themselves. Elsa also took the time to peer down both hallways. Fortunately they hadn't been overheard.

"Elsa, just... be careful, okay? I know how you feel about him but - you know..."

Elsa smiled. She patted Anna's shoulder. "I know."

She took a deep breath and turned to walk away.

"Can I come with you? Or Kristoff? Or the guards?"

Elsa turned her head. "I can take care of myself Anna."

"How?" Elsa had nothing to defend herself with. She could take a knife with her perhaps, but could she use it? Anna was roused from her thoughts when Elsa turned to face her fully.

"I have my ways."

Anna had thought she had been fidgeting with her hands as she did when nervous while her back was turned. Her worries had been borne out of the fact that Elsa hadn't removed her gloves in weeks, months actually, even though the rebellion had ended.

The same gloves that were now held in her sister's hands, instead of the other way around.

* * *

Elsa had forbidden Anna from accompanying her or telling anyone else, but when had that ever stopped her? Now she was sitting on a fence, watching Kristoff feed Sven while Olaf wandered among the other animals. They were alone and Anna had done her best to relate everything she'd learned to the Ice Master as best she could with the innocent snowman nearby. Kristoff had asked questions of course, especially with Anna acting as a narrator, skipping to the end of her tale and not giving him enough details to fully comprehend it. When he did however, he simply took a bite from Sven's carrot and stood up from his overturned basket.

"Get ready."

* * *

Elsa found herself in front of the humble cottage and its unassuming wooden door, dressed in ice that no longer gave her the security she so desperately craved. The gloves were off now, yet she still trembled, struggling to knock. Is this how Anna had felt, for thirteen years, this fear? She steeled herself before she pushed her fist forward.

The dull sound rang out in the dark before the door opened.

"Hey there! This is quite late... what do you need?"

Áno stepped aside to let her in. Despite his initial surprise he was completely the same as he always was, still as alert yet polite. The bruises on his face were already fading. Elsa wondered if his - _their_ \- powers were to thank for that.

"It's something urgent." She held her hands together for a moment before looking back up at him. "It's about your friend actually. Soren?"

She looked closely when the name left her lips. If he was guilty of anything, he hid it remarkably well.

"What about him?"

"He's dead. He's been dead for just over a week now. Possibly longer: we don't know when it happened."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

The moment of truth.

"He drowned."

"Okay..."

Elsa locked eyes with him again, trying to keep the accusation from her voice.

"But he was very cold apparently. Too cold, in fact, for someone who was found on the surface of the fjord."

Áno fell silent for a moment. Then he walked to a cupboard. He knelt before it, opened the left shelf and withdrew a satchel. Slinging it over his shoulder he opened the back door.

"Can you walk with me Elsa? Please?"

* * *

Copper's Glade was as remarkable in the moonlight as it was under the sun. Over the fjord Elsa could see the lights of docked ships and buildings. She also saw small moving lights, no doubt belonging to men moving supplies in and out of her kingdom. She stopped when Áno stopped, waiting for him to compose himself before he spoke.

"What do you want me to say Elsa?"

"That it was an accident. That they were _all_ accidents."

"All?"

"I - I spoke with the Duke of Weselton. He sent me a list - _your _list, a good part of it at least - and... you already know what I saw on it."

"And what happens if I do?"

"We go back to the castle. I - I'll help you control your powers and you can make your peace with everyone and - and you can - can do whatever you want. You won't have to run away anymore. You could go back home and make a fresh start - or you could just stay here."

"And what's stopping me from spending the rest of my life in a prison cell?"

"Me. I can't promise to keep you out, you most likely will spend some time in there, but I can vouch for you - tell everyone how difficult it is to control our powers. Anna could do the same."

"I'm sorry to say you just made two assumptions there."

"What?"

Áno turned to face her, taking small steps back.

"You're assuming I want to come with you."

He gripped his satchel.

"And you're assuming they were accidents."


	16. Answers

"What?" It was the only word Elsa could manage as she stood there, shaken to her core.

"I can't make it much clearer than that can I?" He sighed, holding his arms out to their surroundings. "Just, take care of this place please. I heard some people talking about building something here. If you could declare this spot off limits or something?" He turned his back on her and began to walk. "I'm sorry I have to leave so soon. I really am."

"Why did you do it?"

He turned around again. "Why wouldn't I?" He seemed genuinely confused. "They _ruined my life_ Elsa! All of them! It was justice. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You _killed _them! That's not justice!"

"I was never able to live my life Elsa. I just taught them what it felt like."

"I struggled with my powers too Áno. I - I can't believe you would do something like this!"

"Because you don't know what it was like!" Elsa opened her mouth, hurt, before he rushed to explain. "I know how you felt growing up. Really, I do. But you had a home, servants, parents who tried their best to help you. A sister who never gave up on you, even after you kept yourself away from her for nearly her entire life. But I had _nothing!_" Elsa had never seen him lose his temper, even when he failed in their exercises on this very spot. Even then, he had directed his anger inward. "Everyone treated me like a freak. My parents threw me out as soon as my powers first showed themselves. As a child! My grandparents tried to take it out of me before they gave up too. Everywhere I went I was just a monster. So _what_ if I tried to make things even?" His chest heaved. "Goodbye Elsa."

He turned away but Elsa interrupted him.

"I won't let you get away."

She was flexing her hands and Áno could see a slight bend in her knees. He smiled softly.

"I was going to ask you about the dress actually. I guess you knew this would happen?"

Elsa looked down at the ice covering her body. He was correct. Despite what she'd told Anna, she had privately been afraid that the other girl was correct and had prepared herself accordingly. Removing her gloves had been the first step. Remolding her old coronation dress into this form had been the second. She looked up to see Áno standing directly across from her, also in a battle stance.

"Yes."

* * *

She didn't know who struck first. There had been a burst of ice in one direction and an answer fired in the other. Soon the air was filled with the bitter cold, the grass and trees the unintended victims of their conflict. Ice grew haphazardly all around them from every missed blast. Elsa jumped to the side as yet another soared past her. She fired one of her own, aiming for his feet. Áno was doing the same.

As she fought, she waged another battle in her mind. How did this happen? How could this man, who had come from nowhere yet helped her so much, have been this... _murderer_? He had called himself a monster, just as the Duke of Weselton had her on the night of her coronation. Anna had convinced her that she wasn't. She just had to do the same for him.

She brought her left arm up in a slashing motion, drawing an invisible line from Áno's right hip to his left shoulder and an arc of ice followed suit. His eyes widened as he brought his left hand up the same way. Both forces clashed in the air, forming a shining 'X' before dissipating. Elsa seized her initiative and brought both of her hands together, now fueling a huge beam of magic towards him through the lingering fog of their last clash. Áno brought up his right hand and did the same. Both of their energies clashed in the middle, a small sheet of ice quickly forming between them.

Áno's left hand rose in the air as his eyes narrowed. Piles of snow formed on the earth around him before rising. Legs solidified, then torsos and arms, helmeted heads, then swords. Five soldiers stepped forward.

"Just leave me be Elsa!"

"I won't let you harm anyone Áno! Not in Arendelle, Weselton or any other country you run away to!" She grimaced under the force of Áno's strength pushing against her as the soldiers advanced.

Then came a hideous sound. Both spellcasters turned in shock as a reindeer burst from the woods, its arrival masked by the sounds of their battle and the thundering in their ears. Sitting atop it were two people: a blonde man dressed in black and a princess. Sven lowered his head and charged directly at Áno who immediately raised his left hand again. This time, a thick sheet of ice burst from the grass. Elsa saw the reindeer's eyes widen as he crashed through it, landing in a heap in front of Áno, the pair on his back tumbling to the ground also.

Áno raised his hand for a third time and a giant shard of ice grew in the air, directly above the reindeer's head. He roared with anger as he brought it down.

"Die!"

A pick dashed the ice to cold splinters. Áno looked up in surprise as Kristoff followed it up with a left hook. He brought his left arm forth, another crude dagger arcing sideways towards the ice cutter who met it with his own weapon, shattering it as he did before. Another punch met its mark.

Elsa stumbled forwards as Áno turned his attention fully to the other man, the beam dissipating in a burst of light and wind, holding out a hand to stop Anna when she ran towards her. She looked up to see more ice forming at Áno's fingertips. The ice soldiers were now focusing their attention on the newcomers.

"Kristoff! Back!"

She fired a bolt of ice at Áno's back just as he brought his palm to Kristoff's chest with one hand. His stumbling prevented him from seeing the giant snowflake she formed above their heads for a brief moment with her left. He roared again, surrounding himself with a flurry of snow that he pushed outwards. Kristoff flew back and crumpled on the earth. Anna screamed as the wind buffeted her and Elsa, who gritted her teeth and held her ground, bringing her palms together again to hold off Áno's resumed assault. His held his left hand parallel to the earth, palm down, and more soldiers sprouted from it to answer his call. Some converged on Kristoff while others marched on the sisters. He quickly found himself dazed, defenseless and completely surrounded.

A large bang echoed through the glade as one raised its sword.

Kristoff had brought an arm up to shield his face. When no blow came he looked up to see one of Áno's knights standing before him.

Without a head.

He heard several other shots. With each a knight stumbled. One lost its arm. Another crashed to the floor, unable to support itself with a single leg. He pulled himself to his feet as a third crashed into the grass where he had lain, fragmenting upon impact. And from the trees another faction emerged, men dressed in Arendelle green, hidden perfectly among the shadows. They were all armed.

"Muskets..." Áno looked at the guards advancing on his own army, their lumbering swordplay no match for the firearms. "They brought muskets.." Realization hit him hard. With a snarl he turned to Elsa, her face partially obscured by the beam of ice connecting them. Arendelle's Queen noticed two things as he did so.

First, that Áno had so far been distracted both times they'd matched their powers this way, initially by building his ice men, then by the various interruptions they'd received.

Second, he had only been using one arm while she'd been using both. Only half of his strength.

She then noticed two more facts. Áno had brought his left hand up to his right, now mirroring Elsa's pose perfectly. He was also looking directly at her, brown eyes locking with her blue.

Giving her his full attention.

The change was immediate. The small sheet of ice dividing them immediately shot towards her. Elsa stepped back involuntarily, desperately trying to find some purchase against the assault. Small streams of ice separated themselves from her beam, lashing at the ground around them, mirroring her inner turmoil, but to no avail. The sheet met her hands, enveloped her wrists, moved up her arms, covered her torso, her legs.

Her head.

Anna shrieked and immediately ran to Elsa's side, no longer restrained by the intense cold and stray sparks of ice her sister had been generating. Áno stood in shock as he gazed at the still face.

"No..."

The sounds of battle faded entirely.

"I - I didn't mean it. Elsa..."

He wanted to run up to her and beg for her forgiveness, even if she was in no position to offer it.

"I'm so sorry..."

But there was another bang and a figure of ice shattered too close for him to ignore the world any longer. He saw Anna clutching her sister's body, ignoring the biting cold. She would never trust him to help. And there was something else, wasn't there?

"Get him!"

The guards. The deaths. Of course. Áno turned around. His forces were all but defeated and the strong arm of the law was slowly circling him. In a few seconds he would be surrounded and he couldn't trust himself to escape without hurting anyone else. Not anymore.

For the first time in years he felt his control slip as his eternal anger finally gave way to another emotion. One he never thought he would ever feel. He couldn't even name it.

Regret? Fear? Shame?

"I'm sorry Elsa..."

He turned and ran. The magic was already leaking from his body so he forced it obey him, holding his arms out to the earth. An archway formed around him as he made his way through the narrowing gap in the guards' formation. A man raised his musket and fired. The bullet scored a fearsome wound in his shield but was quickly healed by rapidly spreading ice. The men gave chase, calling out to each other.

* * *

None of this mattered to Anna, who hugged her sister's body even as she felt her skin go numb. She heard heavy footsteps and looked up to see Kristoff standing over her. She spotted a mass of fur in the corner of her eye: an unconscious Sven.

"Help me Kristoff. She just needs an act of true love, right? What did she do for me?" She turned to the mass in her arms. "Please Elsa!" She turned, hoping Kristoff would have any ideas and was horrified to see him raise his pick once more. She reached out but was too late to stop him smash it into Elsa's back.

"_What are you doing?_"

"This isn't her ice Anna!"_  
_

She looked again, wincing as Kristoff brought it down a second time. She struggled to maintain her rapidly escaping composure. Her own frozen form had retained her features, even those of the dress she had worn. This form was instead a crude shell, obliterating anything that could be recognized as belonging to her sister. It was bulky and only vaguely resembled a human. It was a jagged spire, with a long protrusion that had been Elsa's arms.

Then she heard something. Something that removed all doubt that this ice was different while turning her blood cold faster than any magic.

Elsa's muffled scream.


	17. Fallout

"Elsa!"

Anna trembled, clutching the ice covering her sister's face as Kristoff repeatedly slammed his pick into her back.

"Elsa, can you hear me? We're getting you out, just wait a little longer!"

Kristoff pushed her aside before attacking Elsa's front. Anna looked on and noticed small cracks crisscrossing her sister's prison.

But Elsa had gone silent.

"Kristoff..."

She looked around.

_There!_

She grabbed a rock nestled beside the base of a tree and hurried over. She raised it, aiming for her sister's head...

But she couldn't bring it down.

She couldn't hurt her sister.

"Kristoff... hurry!"

"I am!"

She watched. The outside world faded away. The cracks were widening until...

A strange sound.

From Elsa.

Anna grabbed Kristoff and pulled him away just as spears of ice erupted from the cold shell, before it all shattered completely. There was Elsa, head bowed, dressed in rags. She wobbled and Anna rushed forward and caught her just as she fell.

_So cold._

Kristoff came closer, bringing the world with him. Anna heard guards barking orders at each other. She felt Elsa press against her arms as she tried to rise.

"Anna..."

Her voice was too quiet.

"Elsa, please, we'll get you somewhere safe."

"No..."

Elsa struggled again and Anna realized she was looking at the small battalion.

_"The fjord!"_

_"Don't let him get to the fjord!"_

_"Stop him!"_

Elsa pushed away from Anna and took a half-step, before the world darkened and the ruined, grassy plain rushed to meet her.

"No..."

* * *

There was light.

Elsa's eyes opened of their own accord. The first thing they saw was Anna, sitting beside her on her bed, the curtains of her window open.

Of course.

She waited a moment for Anna to notice. When she did, the redhead beamed and crushed her with a hug before turning to the open door.

"She's awake! Kristoff, come back!"

"Anna!"

"What? Oh! Too loud? Elsa, I'm so so sorry!"

Elsa smiled and shook her head, before turning to greet Kristoff and...

"Captain?"

"I'm pleased to see you're awake Your Majesty."

A tall man, in the familiar green uniform of Arendelle's guards and a saber at his waist.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Not too long," interjected Anna, "you're just in time for lunch!"

Elsa smiled at her again before returning to the Captain. "What happened?"

"We lost the culprit Queen Elsa. He crossed the fjord and lost us in the woods beyond."

Elsa noticed he and Kristoff weren't looking at her directly. It took her another moment to realize she was still wearing the rags of her coronation attire, leaving her quite exposed. She raised her quilt to her neck, then pinched her nose, but withdrew her hand quickly. She still had trouble breathing. "He can climb trees Captain. He was probably above you."

The Captain looked at her now. "And you did not see fit to tell us this before?"

Elsa cringed. She hadn't been thinking straight since reading the letter. Devising a signal for the Captain and his reinforcements had taken all her mental capacity at the time. Anna noticed the gesture.

"Don't blame her for that! Just let her rest and she'll be fine and if she's better than fine she'll thaw the fjord for you." She looked down at her. Elsa avoided her gaze. "Isn't that right Elsa?"

"The fjord isn't frozen Anna."

"What? How can you tell?"

"Because he's better than me." She looked up and the Captain nodded.

"He thawed it as he crossed Princess Anna. Poor Henrik fell in, but we got him out. Lad's always been a bit hasty, but the incident wasn't without precedent."

His tone was perfectly neutral, but they all heard the accusation.

"Don't bully her!"

"I was merely making an observation Princess Anna. To your health, Queen Elsa."

He bowed to his Queen and Princess and nodded to Kristoff, then turned and marched from the room, closing the door gently behind him. As soon as the door shut, Elsa groaned and held her head in her hands. Anna immediately sat down beside her and draped her arm around her shoulders. Elsa felt her mattress shift as Kristoff sat down on her right.

"Don't listen to a word he says Elsa."

"But he's right Anna."

"Look, you were in a bad way back then - "

"And so was he!"

This _he_ being Áno.

"Elsa." This was Kristoff's low voice. "Don't think about that. Right now all you need is rest. Let the guards deal with tracking him down. Anna's already told them everything she knows about him. They have enough to be getting on with, alright?"

It wasn't alright, but Elsa nodded.

"Alright."

She snuggled into Anna's side and lay down to rest, but felt Anna's hand encircling her arm.

"Did you hurt yourself Elsa?"

"I - I'm sorry?"

"There are marks on your arms..." Anna raised the quilt to check but Elsa immediately pulled it back down.

"It's nothing Anna. Goodnight."

"...Alright."

* * *

She missed lunch. Gerda instead brought a bowl of soup to her room (and Anna made sure she drank it). She slipped in and out of sleep, thinking. What happened? What happened to Áno, to her? She tossed and turned and felt numb. There was an emptiness inside her. Not just in her mind, but in her body.

That night, determined to attend dinner and take the worry from her sister's face, she flung the quilt from her body.

The effort made her arm ache.

She pivoted and pressed her feet to the floor.

She felt dizzy.

She pushed off and stood.

She felt dizzy. Again.

She wobbled for a moment, then took a tentative step forward.

She almost lost her balance. She gasped and she braced herself against the wall.

_Focus Elsa! Come on, just... focus. Do it for her._

She thought of Anna.

She took another step.

She wobbled again, but this time did not need a wall to steady herself.

_Okay, I just need a few more of those. Enough to get me out of here, downstairs and into the dining hall._

_That's... actually a lot._

She shook her head.

_Don't think like that. Not anymore. Stay positive. Little steps. Just make yourself a dress. That'll be step one. And you won't even have to move!_

She held a hand over her torso and concentrated.

Nothing.

She frowned and tried again.

A wisp of magic left her palm. It didn't settle.

_At least the wardrobe isn't that far..._

* * *

She recovered over the next week, able to give a "witness statement" (as Anna called it) about Áno to the Captain of the Guards and attend to her duties as Queen. She had no illusions as to the rumors that had no doubt spread among her subjects, despite the Captain's promise to contain the situation, but they let her be - whether they avoided asking through respect, fear or care she wasn't sure.

Every day she would ask whether any breakthroughs had occurred in the case, and every day she would receive the same response: no. There was no sign of Áno. She didn't know what she was feeling. Anger? Yes - he was a murderer and had gotten away, so she was angry. But there was also confusion. The same as before: what happened to him?

"Elsa?"

She jumped and looked up. Anna was right in front of her and she hadn't noticed.

"I've been looking all over for you! Were have you been?"

_I don't have the faintest clue._

"Uh, back there." Elsa pointed her thumb behind her down the corridor.

"You've been down all week. You okay?"

"I don't know. I just feel a bit..." She searched around and chose the first word that entered her mind, "empty, I guess."

"How about we do something fun?"

How Anna could smile so suddenly she would never understand, but it was contagious.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you really have to ask?" She frowned. "Unless you don't want to use your powers anymore!"

"Why - why would you think that?"

Anna said nothing, instead pointing at her. Elsa looked down.

"Oh."

She was wearing a dark green dress. It strongly resembled her favorite blue, but it just wasn't the same.

She hadn't worn ice all week.

"No, that's not an issue. You wanna start right now?" She held out her palm.

Nothing.

Anna tilted her head. "I don't get it."

"Wait..."

Elsa flexed her fingers again. Nothing. She tried a third time. A wisp of snowflakes escaped, curled in the air and disappeared.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes!"

She shook her hand and opened it again. Another small flurry of snowflakes. These lasted longer, but faded just the same. She growled.

"Come on!"

Another flurry. It failed. Another. Failed. Another. Failed.

_What's going on?_

"Elsa, maybe you should stop. You're probably still recovering."

"No, I'm fine I swear just - "

She clenched her fist and grit her teeth, pulling all her strength to her hand. She could almost feel her essence moving around the gaping hole in her chest.

"I've got it this time."

She opened her palm. A thin flurry appeared. Like a wispy, growing snake it spun circles above her hand.

She heard something. As though someone were calling her from underwater.

The snake collapsed on itself, forming a snowball no bigger than her eye.

Another call.

She looked at it. _You're just a pebble! And wait, isn't that the ceiling?_

A face appeared above her. Freckled, framed by red hair... who was it again? They would be easier to recognize if things weren't going dark...

"Hey, why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?"

As the world turned fully black, she heard another gurgled cry.

"Elsa!"

She felt empty.

* * *

There was light.

Elsa's eyes opened of their own accord. The first thing they saw was Anna, sitting beside her on her bed, the curtains of her window open.

Of course.

This time Anna noticed immediately. Elsa looked around. Kristoff was there too. Neither of them seemed happy. Anna started.

"Elsa, what happened?"

"I don't know."

"Elsa, Anna told me what happened. Is there something you're not telling us?"

"No, I - I'm fine, I promise."

"Elsa..." Anna held her upper arm loosely as she peered into her eyes, "you can tell us anything. You know that right? And if not, I'm sure Kristoff wouldn't mind waiting outside. You can tell _me_ anything, definitely."

Elsa bit her lip. "I guess I'm still recovering."

"Maybe," this was Kristoff, to the point as usual. She liked that about him, "but we're not blind. You haven't worn your ice dress all week. You haven't used _any_ of your powers all week, full stop." He jabbed the air.

"Maybe I don't want to use them?" She didn't mean to be abrasive and she felt awful for being so, but the alternative...

"Not only did you say otherwise to Anna earlier, you usually wear your gloves if you're trying to avoid using them. You haven't been doing that either." Kristoff sighed, and when he continued his shoulders were hunched. "Anna's right; you can talk to us Elsa."

Elsa said nothing. Anna tapped her shoulder and she turned. Anna bit her lip before looking her in the eye.

"Are you having trouble with your powers? Are you... losing them?"

No one moved for a few, precious moments.

Elsa nodded.

Kristoff clapped his hands. "That's settled then. Don't worry about a thing Elsa. We'll just see Grand Pabbie later today or tomorrow, or if you can't make it I'll go. You'll keep an eye on her, won't you Anna?"

"Yep! See Elsa, we've already got it all planned out. You just sit back, relax and we'll have you back to normal in no time. Like Kristoff said;: don't worry!"

"I'm not worrying Anna. I'm absolutely fine."

"See? That's a great start. Trusting in us is a great start! Isn't it Kristoff?"

But Kristoff was looking down at Elsa with a frown. Elsa closed her eyes and chuckled gently.

"That's not it Anna. I'm happy my powers are gone."

"Wait, what?"

Elsa looked at her younger sister.

"Life would have been so much better without my powers. I wouldn't have hurt you as a child, I wouldn't have... killed all those people after my coronation, I wouldn't have almost killed you a second time, I wouldn't have... No, I don't want my powers back."

"But, what about letting people skate every week? And - an, playing with me? And - oh yeah! - you told me no one dared attack Arendelle because they were scared of you! How about that?"

"My powers also encouraged a lot more people to join our navy and army Anna. We'll be fine if someone declared war on us. Besides, I'm not going to advertise my loss. As for the skating and playing with you... you'll just have to get used to waiting for natural winter again."

"But, El - "

"But nothing, Anna!" The words she'd bottled up for years were spilling out of her. "I hate my powers! I hate being different! I hate that I lost everything I loved and cost so many people so much! I've always hated my powers Anna! There are times I've made something pretty, yes, but on the grand scale of things? They're horrible! I haven't made anything I actually, truly care for so - "

The words were outdated. Her face was pale to begin with but blanched further.

Right on cue, the trio heard a humming from outside. A tray laden with chocolates floated in. There was no bowl, and the chocolates were haphazardly positioned atop it. Some fell off as it approached.

"I've got your favorite chocolates Elsa! I picked them all myself!"

The tray was covered in a light dusting of snow and wasn't floating at all. It was held up by short twig hands. The hands were attached to a small white figure.

It took Elsa a while to find her voice. From the corners of her eyes she saw Anna and Kristoff looking at her.

"Olaf!"


End file.
